Cry for Me, My Destiny
by Neo Staff
Summary: Kagome has made a wish and is now dead, alond with Naraku who she killed as well. So why did Inuyasha and the others get presents from her? And why is she still alive? Kagura? Kanna? Both helping her? And why does she have an image of Naraku in her mind?
1. Christmas Present Mystery part 1

_**Christmas Present Mystery**_

_**By: Neo**_

_Disclaimer: sigh If you really think that I, or anyone else of for that mateer really, owns Inuyahsa...well then...you msut have some serious brain problems...that or you're just stupid...I dunno... kidding. I don't own it so stop asking!_

_Summery: It's Christmas day and Inuyasha and the others are enjoying themselves. So what happens when they all receive presents from Kagome, who died to save them all from Naraku? And what is up with Inuyasha and having nightmares?_

'_It's alright, Inuyasha.' Said a soft, soothing voice. 'Naraku will die as well.'_

'_But…' said the one called Inuyasha. 'What about you? You'll die with him!'_

'_I know that.' Came the calm reply. 'But if it means that Naraku is gone to it'll be ok.'_

'_No it won't!' cam the mad reply. 'Kagome you'll…and I…I don't want you to die.'_

_The girl Kagome, who stood behind a barrier that locked Inuyasha away from her, said, 'I know, Inuyasha.' She looked to the others, behind Inuyasha. Sango, Kaeda, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara, and even Kouga and Kikyo were there. None of them were able to pass through the barrier, not even Inuyasha sword could help._

_Suddenly the girl smiled and said, 'Sango…take care of Miroku, we don't want him running off and getting him self killed by some girl.' Sango smiled, and Miroku put his arm around her waist. 'Miroku…well…be good to Sango.' The monk smiled at Kagome, knowing that she meant it. 'Shippou,' she smiled, love in her eyes for the kitsun who she treated as a son. 'I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep my promise to you and never leave.' Shippou just shook his head, to sad to be able to say anything._

_Kagome also blinked tears from her eyes before she continued, 'Kaeda…thank you for teaching me everything. It's helped so much.' The old one eyed women smiled and nodded. She had been training Kagome for the past four years and it had slowly awakened sleeping powers inside the girl._

'_It wasn't all me, child, you did a lot of the work yourself.' She said, the smile slightly fading. She had wanted to teach this girl more, but there just hadn't been time._

_Kagome next turned to the people hidden in the trees and said, 'I know your there, Sesshomaru. I want to thank you…for all the help you've given these past two years.' Sesshomaru, who had just come into view with Rin and Jaken at his side, had started to help two years before. Inuyasha and he had finally made up, though neither brother would say what happened._

'_What's going to happen to you, Lady Kagome?" asked Rin, now a right thirteen year old. 'Will you go to heaven?'_

'_I don't know Rin. Maybe.' Kagome smiled at them, and turned again to the other two. 'Kouga,' she said, smiling as best she could. 'I know you love me but…'_

'_I know,' he said, glancing quickly at Inuyasha. 'Kagome, I'll never stop loving you, even if you don't return my feelings. Just try not to…never mind…' and he turned around, not wanting to watch Kagome as she talked to the others._

'_Kikyo,' she said. 'We've never really…gotten to know each other, even when we were training, but I still want you to know that…you were a wonderful teacher and friend…take care of him, won't you?'_

_Kikyo, not needing to ask who she was to take care of, said, 'I will, Kagome. You were the best student I've had and if there had been more time…you would have been even better.'_

_Nodding Kagome turned to Inuyasha, who was looking at the ground. 'Inuyasha,' she said, and he looked up. Taking a deep breath for courage, she smiled at him and said, 'I love you. Don't forget that and don't forget me.'_

_And without even waiting for him to reply, she ran into the woods that Naraku now hid in, waiting for her. _

_Inuyasha didn't know how long he stood there, shocked at what she had said. It had been the exact thing he had been trying to say for quite a while._

'_Inuyasha,' someone finally said, that someone being Kikyo. 'We must move from this place. It is not safe to be standing here.'_

'_Right,' Inuyasha said, still slightly dazed. 'Right…let's move then.'_

_They left the barrier, wanting to get as far away as they could before whatever would happen happened. But they weren't even half a mile away when an explosion ripped through the air from the direction they had just left. It was followed by three more, then a long scream, Naraku's scream._

'_Is it over?' asked Shippou, cowering in Sango's arms._

'_No,' the reply came from Kikyo and Sesshomaru. Kikyo nodded to him and went on, 'We can still feel them, though they are faint now. It'll be only moments before…'_

_Light shot up into the air, bright and pink. Then they all felt it. Something changed inside of them, something went missing._

_And they heard a voice, the voice of the girl who was now dead, say, 'I wish…for peace…and my loved ones to be safe…' and then, so softly that only Inuyasha heard, '…and from them not to forget me…for my love Inuyasha not to forget me…' (they had found out from Kikyo that it was possible to make more than one wish is the wisher had a strong enough will.)_

_Then there was a blinding flash of light, pure golden light, and the voice faded._

"Kagome!" Inuyasha woke with a start and sat up quickly. "Wha..? A…dream?" he fell back and stared up at the ceiling, sighing. "Why can't these nightmares go away?"

It has been two and a half long years since the events that happened in Inuyasha's nightmare. And only recently had he been having those dreams. Two months straight, what happened on that day, so long ago it seemed, had been the only thing that Inuyasha was able to dream about.

"Inuyasha?" asked a voice from the other room. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Inuyasha called back. "I'm fine, Kikyo. Are Sango and Miroku up yet?"

"We're up," Sango said, peeking into Inuyasha's room, little Minira and Shen, her and Miroku's beautiful children, in her arms. "Another dream?" she asked quietly.

Inuyasha nodded silently, poking Shippou in the side to wake him up. Inuyasha had started to notice that, since the…departure…of Kagome, his and Shippou's relationship had only seemed to grow. Inuyasha knew that Shippou had looked to Kagome as a sort of mother figure, and knew, from what Kagome had told him years before, that Shippou looked at him as sort of an uncle…maybe even a second father.

"Come on, runt, get up." Inuyasha poked him again,. Sango, smiling, went back into the other room to feed her two little one's. "Come on, you want food or not?" Inuyasha asked, poking Shippou only a little harder.

"No…no…" Shippou muttered, still in a dream. "Inuyasha...stop it. Kagome…Kagome…make him stop. Kagome? Where…are you Kagome?"

Inuyasha's eyes saddened and he stopped poking Shippou. Instead, he picked him up gently and set him in his lap gently before stroking his head slightly.

"Get up, Shippou. Kagome…isn't here. There's no one to protect you from evil, bit Inuyasha. You better get up and run away."

But Shippou still slept on, muttering in sleep.

"Fine," said Inuyasha. "Then I guess you won't be getting your Christ-what's it presents."

A few years back, it seemed just like yesterday almost to Inuyasha, Kagome had come back through the well, brightly packaged boxes in hands. She had explained to them all what Christmas was, though none of them had really understood. Kagome, flustered at that point, had simply said that it had turned from a holiday into a reason to give and get things.

Shippou, who had been happily playing with his present, stopped and looked up at Kagome, tears coming into his eyes.

"I didn't get you anything, though." He said and started to cry.

Kagome, picking him up, gently pet him for a moment before she said, "You didn't have to. I really didn't expect any of you to get me anything, since I never told you about Christmas until now. Besides," she said, smiling. "I don't really like the idea of it being only about presents. I only did this because I thought you all might like something from my time to use. And also…" she glanced up at Inuyasha quickly before saying, "I think Christmas should be spent with the one's you love." She blushed hard, having just glanced back up at Inuyasha and seen him staring at her.

"Does that mean you love me?" asked Shippou, eyes shining from tears that had long been stopped.

Kagome laughed, her face becoming normal, though still a little pink from the cold weather. "Of course I love you Shippou, just like I love Sango, and Miroku, and Kirara, and…Inuyasha." She blushed again and Sango and Miroku glanced at each other, knowing what was on the young girls mind.

"Ewwww," cried Shippou, jumping out of Kagome's arms and landing on Inuyasha's head. "You love Inuyasha? Ewww."

Smiling at the memory, Inuyasha said to the still sleeping Shippou, "I guess you really don't want your presents."

"Presents?" Shippou yelled, bounding up and out of Inuyasha's arms. "Come on Inuyasha, there are presents!" and he ran into the other room, towards the door outside to look at the snow, and straight into Sesshomaru's legs.

"Oh, uh…" Shippou stammered. Though he knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't try and kill him anymore, he was still a little afraid of the dog demon. "He-hello Sesshomru-sama. Are…you here for Christmas to?"

She tall demon looked at the young fox and said, "Yes. Rin is waiting for you, make sure she does not get cold." And he strode into the room, everyone else greeting him.

"Where'd you learn about this holiday thing from?" Inuyasha asked, sitting next to Miroku on the boys side of the fire, as Sesshomaru sat on Miroku's other side. "I didn't think you were into all of this crap."

Squeals of excitement came from outside as Shippou and Rin, who were playing hide-and-go-seek with Jaken, more like push Jaken into a snow pile and pretend to look for him, 'found' him.

"Kagome-sama," (Inuyasha was still surprised that his brother respected Kagome.) "Told Rin about it while she was in Kagome-sama's care. She has told me about it and said she would like to visit you all for Chrustamus."

Though he had gotten it's name wrong, no one corrected him. No one felt like it really, and they knew that Sesshomaru would just ignore them if they did. Instead, they all watched as Minira and Shen, able to crawl, made their way over to Sesshomaru and started to climb onto his fluff and promptly fall asleep. Sango, who was a little worried that he wouldn't like this, was surprised when all he did was gently tuck them in.

Inuyasha tried not to laugh as he said, "Who…who wants some breakfast?"

"It's all ready," Kikyo said in her quiet tone. "There's enough for everyone to have as much as they want."

Inuyasha, who's feeling for Kikyo had almost disappeared after Kagome had said those three words to him so long ago, smiled at her and said, "Didn't poison it, did you?"

Kikyo glared at him and said, "No, but I'll poison your bowl just for the sake of it."

They all laughed, except for Sesshomaru who was quiet, and started to get their food. Shippou, who had smelled the food, ran into the room with Rin and Jaken on his heals. Though the room was quite big, it was starting to get cramped in there. Shippou, sitting next to Inuyasha, was only amazed to see Minira and Shen on Sesshomaru, but the smell of food drove it from his mind the next second.

Rin, now sitting next to Sesshomaru, accepted a bowl from Kikyo and started to eat as well. She would usually have sat on Sesshomaru's fluff, but, seeing the two cute babies there, she didn't mind sitting on the floor.

Jaken, sitting next to Rin, also accepted a bowl from Kikyo before staring to eat as well. But the spoon wasn't even all the way out of his mouth when Rin poked him, making him drop it and grab his side, keeping her from poking him again.

"Rin!" he cried in a hurt voice. "What was that for?"

But Rin only giggled with an innocent look on her face. The rest of their breakfast was quiet except for the slight rustle of clothing as Jaken grabbed his side again, seeing that Rin was moving closer. Since it was quiet, breakfast was one of the only times of day that it was, everyone, even Sesshomaru who was use to no noise, took that time to think about what they were going to do.

Miroku who, after his marriage to Sango, had stopped thinking about other women all together, thought: **'Maybe I'll take Sango over to the hot springs, have some fun with her again. We could always ask Inuyasha or Sesshomaru to look after the little ones. Never thought I'd be asking Sesshomaru to do that. But it has been quiet some time since Sango was able to have fun, what with Kagome-sama...gone.'**

Sango who, after Kagome's death and burying her brother, had only wanted to die herself until Miroku had proposed to her. Instead of thinking about that she though, **'There must be something I can do. Even if he says it's because he can't, I know Inuyasha can go through the well, I've seen him. He needs to tell her family…they have a right to know. I can understand his grief, we all have it as well, but he needs to think of Kagome-chan's family as well!' sighing she took another bite and went to think on about how the others might react to her gifts.**

Shippou, though now with another playmate in the form of Rin, was still a rather depressed little kitsun. Though he tried to shove the memory away, or at least not think about it every second of the day, Kagome's death was almost always on his mind. It was only at the times that Inuyasha was truly acting nice to him that he felt happiness at all. But he had learned from the best, Inuyasha, to hide his feeling, even if Inuyasha could still tell he was doing it.

Now, his mind on his food, he though, **'I wonder if Rin will like my gift? I had been hoping that they'd come by, so I'm glad I have a gift for her! But…would she have been happy even without a gift? Kagome…said that Christmas wasn't all about the gifts, but about family and loved ones. Maybe Rin wouldn't have cared if I didn't get her anything…' **though he was still young, very young even in kitsun years, Shippou had become very smart. His complex thought, which might have made some of the others heads reel, were easy for him to understand. It was either that, or their heads would only spin because of kitsun child thoughts, and they weren't smart at all.

Jaken, who had never really liked any of them before, had come to respect them, though only slightly. He even respected that bratty kitsun, Shippou, for all that he helped Rin torture him. His thought were simple at the moment, only really concentrating on his food and keeping Rin at a safe distance from his side. **'Will that little brat stop? She's even worse after that Miko child died! Mmm…this is good food though…ow! Brat, stop it!'** But he didn't voice any of this, knowing his master wouldn't like it.

Sesshomaru, who though quite a lot more then any of the others, had nothing to concentrate on as he didn't eat human food. Instead he wondered, **'Why does my brother insist on keeping that dead Mio around? She is of no use to us, besides to seek out the jewel shards once more for him. He is not as simple minded as I had thought, even though he will never be smart.'**

After Kagome had made the wish on the Shikon no Tama, it had shattered once more. They had thought that it would simply disappear, but it did not. Kikyo had said that she thought that this might happen, but said that it's power to grant wishes would be gone. Only the power to give power to one who holds even a shard would remain. They believed her, even though there was no proof. No, once again, they were on a quest to find the shards. This time, however, it had been easier, as not many a demon wanted to face down Inuyasha and his friends, the ones who had defeated Naraku…or so they thought…and who traveled with a priestess and Sesshomaru. No, most of the demons that did have a shard either ran for it or left it where it had been. Only humans had been stupid enough to keep any.

Kirara, even though she was a cat demon, had learned the language, though she could not speak it, of men. Her thoughts, though, were simple as she wasn't able to place much of men's words together into sentences. Her only thought was, **'Mmm, this fish is good.'** It was simple, but more complex that most of her brethrens thoughts ever would get.

Rin, who had become use to these long periods of silence to think in, thought, **'I wonder why Sesshomaru-sama wanted to come? Usually he would have only ignored me and Jaken-sama. I guess he liked the idea of gift giving or something. He's so sweet! He hides his emotions so much, but I know he cares about Inuyasha-sama!'** she smiled and tried to poke Jaken again, but missed as he moved away to the side.

Kikyo, who was almost always quiet and thoughtful, had a lot to think about. Only a few years back, at around the time Kagome had died, had she really had any thought about staying with Inuyasha and his friends. Before that, she had only been around to teach Kagome to be a Miko. Kikyo, who at first thought that Kagome was a rather weak Miko, had soon found that that wasn't the case. In fact, Kagome's powers had been sleeping, dormant until they were needed. Kikyo had soon seen this and asked to join with Inuyasha and the others, but only to teach Kagome to be a Miko.

'_What?' Kagome squeaked from the trees behind Inuyasha. 'You want to do what with me?'_

_Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder. Kagome had been there the whole time? How much had she heard? By the way that she wasn't looking at Inuyasha, she must have heard more than he would have liked._

'_Teach you,' Kikyo replied, stepping to the side to get a proper view of Kagome. 'You have power, a lot of power, and you do not know how to use it. If you do not learn to control these powers, you could purify Inuyasha, any demon that is close to you, without even trying.'_

_Kagome went pale. She hadn't know that there was that much power inside of her! Or was Kikyo just pulling their legs? Trying to get closer to Inuyasha? As if she knew what Kagome had thought she suddenly laughed._

'_I will only be there to teach you. After that I will leave again, for a time at least.' She watched Kagome's face, looking for signs of denial._

'_But,' Inuyasha asked, coming out of his shock. 'We're looking for the Shikon no Tama shards! How are we suppose to do that when Kagome out here being taught?'_

'_What's that suppose to mean?' Kagome asked, tears coming into her eyes. 'I'm still just a shard detector to you aren't I?'_

'_That's not what I…' Inuyasha started to say, but Kikyo cut him off with, 'I will travel with you. It will be easier for her to learn if she is around those she knows. If I were to teach her away from you all she would be distracted and learn nothing.'_

'_But I…' Kagome said. But she found that she didn't have any excuse to this. She sighed defeat and said, 'Fine, I would love to be able to at least aim properly.'_

_Kikyo laughed lightly and turned back to Inuyasha before saying, 'I will need a few days to prepare. You may keep moving on without me, I shall catch up.' Then she was off into the trees, Inuyasha unable to follow because of the Soul Catchers blocking his way._

Now Kikyo was a full member of Inuyasha's group, but for how long she did not know. She knew that the demon slayer, Sango, didn't like her very much. Or that is, hadn't liked her very much when they had first met. **'She blames me for all of the times that Kagome-sama cried. It was not my fault that I one loved Inuyasha, and he I. I believe she has gotten over that, but I do not know. She seems not to mind me as much anymore, though I do find her eyes on me at times. And her monk of a husband seemed not to have like me either. I hope they have gotten over it, I may want to take Inuyasha's life one day, but that will not be a day soon in coming.'** She filled Rin's bowl back up as the small child asked for more, smiling at her.

Inuyasha, who sometimes didn't like all of the quiet, not after what happened those years ago, thought, **'Sesshomaru seems different. They all do. Even I do. I don't love Kikyo anymore, I only care for her. And Shippou…he's like a…a son to me. A little bratty son that is. I wonder why Kikyo is still here? She'd said she'd wanted to teach Kagome to be a Miko…and she did. Sango and Miroku, they're so happy it seems. Have they forgotten what happened?**' But Inuyasha had seen the look in both of their eyes so many times, the look or sorrow and grief, he knew that he was wrong.** 'No, they think of her a lot to. Kagome…why couldn't you have waited for us to help you? Why? We could have won without you dieing! Kagome…I never got to tell you I loved you. You told me and I just stood there like an idiot.'** He sighed silently and finished his food. Cleaning it, he heard a noise form out side and smelled a familiar scent.

He was out the door in a second, looking around and calling into the trees, 'Kagome! Kagome?" but no one answered.

"Inuyasha!" called Sango who was at the door of the hut. "What is it?" she looked worried.

Inuyasha slowly made his way over to her, searching the trees for any sign of the departed girl. "It's Kagome," he said. "I just smelled her. And I thought I heard her out here to."

"Inuyasha," Sango said, worry in her eyes. "Kagome-chan is…"

"I know what she is!" Inuyasha almost yelled, but the thought of the young one's inside stopped him. "But I also know what I just smelled and heard! It was Kagome, I know it was!"

"But, Inuyasha think about it. It must have been from the dream. You were thinking about it and thought that you smelled her. It must have been that. Now come back inside and lets open our presents." She turned around and stopped. There, on the side of the hut, was a pile of brightly wrapped packages, like the ones she had seen Kagome bring before.

"What is it, Sango?" Inuyasha asked. She pointed and he looked, spotted the gifts, and smirked at Sango. "Part of the dream?" he asked.

Sango frowned and said, "They must be from Sesshomaru. Or someone in the hut."

"No one," Inuyasha said, taking a step towards the packages. "Has paper like that here, and you know it."

"Then explain to me why no one else smelled her." Sango, in great denial at the moment, was now torn. She wanted it to be true, that Kagome was really back, but then again she didn't. What if she was like Kikyo? Dead, needing souls to live, and only wanting to kill Inuyasha? It wouldn't be the Kagome she knew and she didn't want that.

"Maybe they did and just didn't say anything." Inuyasha said, gathering up the packages into his arms. "Shippou is still young and doesn't use his nose properly, and my brother…well, he's my brother, nothing excites him."

Suddenly they heard a mewing from behind them and there was Kirara, sniffing about in the snow. She mewed again and trotted over to Sango, something in her mouth.

"What is it?" Sango asked, reaching down to take whatever it was out of Kirara's mouth. Suddenly she gasped. "Inuyasha…look…" she said slowly.

"What is it?" he asked, turning around. He almost dropped the gifts when he saw what was in her hand.


	2. I'm going to stop naming chapters

"What is it?" Sango asked, reaching down to take whatever it was out of Kirara's mouth. Suddenly she gasped. "Inuyasha…look…" she said slowly.

"What is it?" he asked, turning around. He almost dropped the gifts when he saw what was in her hand.

"How…why…is that here?" Sango stammered. "Wasn't this the one that…" she stopped, her throat suddenly tight.

"Yeah, it is." Inuyasha said, reaching for the hair tie that was in Sango's hand. Slowly, slightly afraid at what he would smell, Inuyasha lifted in to his nose and took a sniff. "It…smells fresh…like she was just here."

Sango went pale. "But…" she said slowly, trying to figure this out in her head quickly before Inuyasha, or herself, did something stupid. "It can't be. She's…"

"I know what she is!" Inuyasha said, looking away from the tie in his hand. "I know…"

"Inuyasha. Let's go back inside. I must just be your imagination, or you just smell the scent better because of the snow." She started to walk back in and Inuyasha followed, the odd presents in his hands and the tie in his pocket.

"Ohhhhhhh, Inuyasha, are those for us?" Rin and Shippou squealed as Inuyasha entered behind Sango.

Inuyasha glanced at Kikyo, who he thought was acting weird. Usually she would be talkative with both Shippou and Rin, or with Sango, asking about the babies. But instead, she kept glancing towards the door, to the far wall and back. What was out there? A demon? But, Inuyasha would have felt it if there had been.

Shaking himself mentally, Inuyasha nodded to Shippou and Rin, unsmilingly, and set the odd presents with the others. Shippou face, once he was able to look at them properly, fell. He turned to Inuyasha, about to ask him about the wrapping on them, but was cut off by Sesshomaru moving the little ones off of his fluff and standing up. He then went over to the presents Inuyasha had just brought in and sniffed them slightly.

"They have the scent of Kagome-sama on them." He turned to Inuyasha, his eyebrows slightly raised, which surprised Inuyasha more than anything. "It is fresh."

Everyone was silent and looking at Inuyasha. Shaking his head, he pulled out the tie and showed everyone. "Kirara found it in the snow. It's the one that Kagome was wearing when…when she killed Naraku."

Still the room was silent. Then, looking around her, Sango said, "Speaking of Kirara, where is she?"

Inuyasha and the others also looked around. Kirara, who apparently hadn't come in with Sango and Inuyasha, must still have been outside. Sighing slightly but standing up Inuyasha said, "I'll go look for her. She won't want to miss opening her presents." He stepped outside and sighed again.

"Inuyasha?" asked a voice from within and Miroku stepped out into the cold morning air. "You're not going to go off and do anything stupid are you? Like look for Kagome or anything? She's not coming back, Inuyasha, there was nothing left of her."

"Shut up monk." Inuyasha said, growling. He didn't like the way that everyone kept reminding him about Kagome's death. About how he hadn't said anything to Kagome's three little words, even though she hadn't really given him a chance to.

"I was just saying." Miroku said, and he re-entered the hut.

"Keh." Inuyasha said and he jumped off in the direction that Kirara's scent was coming strongest from.

Somewhere in the forest surrounding the hut

"It's nice to see you to, Kirara." Said a light voice from the shadows where the small cat demon was mewing at. "But I can't stay long. I just wanted to give you all the presents and see you all."

Kirara mewed again and rubbed against the body that the voice belonged to. The voices owner smiled and pet the small demon lightly before saying, "It was the least they could do, for my helping the free them from him." She paused in her story and her stroking until Kirara urged her on. "After he was gone, I lingered for a few moments, as a soul only though, to make the wishes. I was just about to have one last look at Inuyasha and leave when they blocked my path."

The owner of the voice, a tell, browned eyed, blacked haired female, stretched her legs out and continued, "I'm not sure how they saw me, although I think it was Kanna's mirror that really was able to see me, not them." Kirara leapt into the girl's lap and sat again, listening to the girl's story.

"Kagura, looking right through me, really, said 'I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks. You didn't do it for us, we know, and we don't care, but you freed Kanna and I.' Then she sighed, as though she really didn't want to say what she did. 'We are in your debt.' She said. 'And since your dead there's only one thing we can really do for you.' I didn't have a mouth so I could ask what but she said anyways, 'You would ask if you could but you can't so I'll just tell you. We'll let you live again. A real, live body, not like that dead Miko's body that needs souls of the dead. All we need is a little blood and some flesh, which there is plenty of down there.' Then her feather things starts to descend and I went with it, I think the mirror was holding on to me or something."

Kirara mewed and nodded, a trick she'd picked up from Sango. Kagome went on, "Anyways, they went and gathered up all of the blood that was mine with another mirror that Kanna had. I don't know how it knew what was mine and what wasn't, but it did. It was icky, but it also collected all of the flesh of mine that was there to. It was just as they were leaving that you and the others came and started to yell and Kagura and Kanna. That's why there wasn't any of me left there, Naraku had been purified and was gone entirely except for a bit of his blood. I remember Inuyasha wanted to know why they were there. I remember…" she suddenly stood up.

Kirara fell from her lap and mewed angrily up at her. Kagome smiled down at her apologetically and said, "Sorry, don't tell Inuyasha I was here, ok? This body isn't quite…right…something went wrong when they were gathering the blood and…" she cut herself short and said, "Kirara, I wish you and the others well, I'll come see you when my body is sorted out!" and she ran off.

Kirara started after her but Inuyasha's call stopped her and she turned back around. Kirara knew that Kagome knew what she was doing. Kagome, like Sango, was smart for a human, in Kirara's eyes.

"Kirara?" Inuyasha called again, still following her scent, which was now mixed with another's. And that others was someone Inuyasha really wanted to find. "Kirara, where are you? Hurry up, we have presents to…" he stopped and sniffed the air. A foul stench had just reached his nose and he started to growl. How could he be here? He was suppose to be obliterated, along with Kagome.

Inuyasha jumped forward, expecting to see the loathed demon behind the trees, but no one was there. When he landed, Kirara trotted up to him and mewed. Inuyasha glanced down, noticing that Kirara didn't seem to have noticed anything. Maybe all of this was his imagination, or form the dream. Maybe someone else who knew them, though Inuyasha could not guess who, had thought to give them brightly wrapped packages.

Kirara tugged on Inuyasha hukama and tried to pull him over to the spot where the girl had been. She wanted Inuyasha to stop worrying about her and wait until she was ready. Inuyasha let himself be pulled, still deep in thought, until her scent, stronger than ever, hit his nose.

"Kagome!" he called out, looking around wildly, as though expecting her to drop from a tree nearby. "Kagome? Where are you? Kagome!" but there was no answer. Inuyasha looked down at Kirara. "She was here, wasn't she?"

Kirara, remembering that Kagome hadn't wanted her to say anything, looked away and mewed. Inuyasha sighed, guessing that maybe Kirara hadn't found Kagome, that maybe Kagome had run when she sensed Kirara approach. But why would she?

Shaking his head he gestured to Kirara for them to head back the way Inuyasha had come. Kirara followed, only stopping once to glance back and see something that looked like a feather rise up into the air and out of sight.

In a deep cave by Kaeda's village

"That was a stupid thing to do you know." Someone said, shaking the girl with distant brown eyes out of her thoughts. "You might have been caught and your body reversed to his again. You know what'll happen if it does that again."

"I know, Kagura, I just wanted to see him…them. And give them their presents." The girl frowned then. She had seen Kikyo in the room with the others. Why hadn't she said anything. Kagome, the girl with the distant eyes, was sure that she had felt her. Kikyo had certainly glanced in her direction a lot.

"Whatever." Kagura said, leaning back slightly. "At least wait a while more before you do anything like that again. Kanna thinks that she knows what the last words to the spell are, but she's having a difficult time with a few of the letters." Kagome nodded. The language was that of such ancient Japanese only Naraku had know it. One of the demons that he had devoured, a very old clumsy one, had given him that knowledge and that was why he had been able to do some of the worst thing he had.

Kagome sighed and said, "Well at least I was able to help some with it. There's one good thing that came form Having some of Naraku's blood in me: being able to translate almost anything." She wanted to sigh again but didn't. Her emotions were starting to get away from her again and the ache was starting up as well. "Wake me when we get there, please, Kagura. I need to go have another talk with that demon inside of me."

Kagura nodded and said, "Fine, Kagome-sama, but don't piss him off to much this time." Kagome was already asleep though and didn't hear this. Kagura, along with most of the people who had heard the tale of Naraku's defeat, now respected Kagome to no end it seemed, Kagura and Kanna among them.

Kagome's DREAM

The second that Kagome's eyes had closed and she had fallen into slumber, she was on that barren plain again. Nothing was here, besides the tall grass that grew as far as Kagome could see.

"You'd think there would be a tree or mountains but no, there has to be grass." She looked around herself, looking for what she wanted. "Lots and lots of grass." Finally she spotted it. The small, black raised platform out to the far north of where she stood. "That gets farther and farther away each time I come here. Though, that might be a good thing, I don't know."

She started to heard in the direction of the platform, a shield of Miko energy springing up around her out of pure instinct. The distance was long, even for her DREAM form, but, altering between running, jogging, and walking, she was able to reach it in the space of twenty minutes. Panting, but not as hard as she would have been if she hadn't been doing that since she met Inuyasha, she started to walk around the base of the black stone until she was able to reach the front.

"I thought I sensed you coming." The man chained to the rock pillar said, laughing coldly. "What do you want this time?"

Kagome, who didn't believe that he had been able to sense her since she had had a shield up, said, "Nothing that would be of interest to you. You and I need to have a long talk here and now though."

Naraku, still smiling, said, "And what is it that we shall be discussing?"

Kagome glanced to her sides, even though she knew that nothing was there. 'It must be in my other form.' She thought and said, "How I'm going to get your nasty blood out of me and back into the ground where it belongs."

Naraku shook his head, shaking the chains that bound him to the rock. For some reason, Kagome always forgot that he was trapped here, inside of her, with only chains. She suspected, though, that they must have been spelled by someone, or something, powerful enough to keep him there.

Suddenly Naraku laughed. "It seems that we won't be having any talk today. Your having trouble in the open and are about to leave me."

Kagome felt out with her mind and found that she was being awakened. How had he known? She thought. Then, smirking, she muttered coldly, "There is better than here with you any day." And she was in the waking world again.

On Kagura's feather

"Kagome-sama, we've got trouble." Kagura said. "We've been spotted."

"Spotted?" Kagome said, still a little shaken by what she had heard Naraku say. How had he known? She thought once again. "By who?"

"Your friends." Kanna said. Kagome glanced at her. She was usually quiet, so was hard to notice most of the time. "Kirara let slip to Myoga where she had been and they had set off after you. They are right behind us."

Kagome, low in the feather so as not to be seen, looked over it's back, spotting a small black dots in the distance. "They're so far away, though." She said, sitting up slightly. "We'll make it to the cave with plenty of time."

"But our scents." Kagura said, playing with her fan. "They'll smell us and follow that. Right to the cave."

Kagome nodded and said one word, "Barrier." Before another thought struck her and said, "But then again, Kikyo will be able to pass through. Well, her I can deal with, just be nice and tell he to be quiet to the others."

Kagura was silent, as was Kanna. Kagome knew that it was a long shot, but it was either that or get caught and have her risk another shift of spirit. She wanted to cry. It had happened before, and she had had to almost kill herself for a second time to regain control. Even though she had, she had almost died again anyways, but Kagura was able to save her again.

"We're there." Kanna said, looking over the side. "They are catching up." Kagome looked back again, the black dots now so much easier to see.

After Inuyasha and Kirara had returned.

"Kirara!" Sango exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"She was in the forest, looking for something." Said a small voice that came from Inuyasha's shoulder. "But what it was I do knot know."

Kirara mewed happily and Inuyasha smacked his neck, stopping the flee Myoga's sucking of his blood. "Why me?" he asked.

"Because you're a flee." Inuyasha said. "And because you're annoying."

"Myoga?" Sango asked, looking at the small demon. "Why not ask her? You're the only one who can."

Myoga nodded and did as he was asked. Kirara, though, only looked away and mewed, saying that she didn't remember. Myoga jumped onto her and went up by her ear, asking again and asking why she didn't want to tell. Kirara, sleepy from her breakfast then running so much, told him before snapping her mouth shut. Myoga relayed this to the others and they set off, even Sesshomaru and Rin went s well.

"Take them to Kaeda, alright Ah-Un?" Sango said, placing her babies onto the double headed lizard horses back.. "If anything happens to them, I'll cook you." And Ah-Un took off, careful not to let the precious cargo slip off.

With Kagome, Kagura and Kanna again

Finally the feather touched down and they all hurried off, quickly making for the opening of the cave. It took them a minute to find it, though, as it was so well hidden. Finally inside, Kagome turned back around and placed her hands on the right side of the cave wall.

"Kanmon"

She removed her hands. They were now glowing a slight pinkish white. She moved slowly to the left, the glow spreading out from her fingers to the cave entrance and forming a barrier. She reached the left wall and placed her hands on it.

"Owari"

The glow from her hands faded and the barrier turned a blue, purple color shot with pink and white. It would be easy for Kikyo to see that it was Kagome's Miko energy, but then again, she might not say anything. Moving farther back into the cave, Kagome repeated the process. She knew that Kikyo would be able to get through, but it would not be so easy with all of these barriers to go through.

It wasn't that Kagome was against Kikyo, she just didn't want to be found, She had made her piece with Kikyo a long time ago, and it still held. She knew that Kikyo was taking care of Inuyasha for the moment, even if she did want to someday kill him.

"Kagome-sama, hurry, they are coming down now." Kagura said from farther within the cave. Kagome nodded to herself and ran through the rest of the twisting cave into the very heart. It was a wide open space, a natural cavern, that let light shine through the small holes in the roof. Even if they tried, they wouldn't be able to get through those holes. For one, they were to small, and for two, even though they were to small, Kagome had still put a barrier up against them.

"Let's wait here." Kagome said, sitting down on the floor and bringing out a pack of cards. "If Kikyo is able to get through, I don't want her to think that I really am hiding from her or anyone."

"Kagome…" Kanna said, resting her soft, dead eyes on the girl. "You can't see Kikyo, it would be to much emotion from Naraku and yourself."

Kagome shook her head hard, and said, "I don't care, nothing is going to happen." She stopped for a moment before she went on to say, "Besides, he's asleep right now, he won't be able to tell anything is happening."

Kagura nodded, though she didn't want to agree with the girl, and sat down across from her, asking, "Speed?"

Kagome laughed and started to deal the cards for the game. She had taught them to play when she had fist gotten her body back, before Naraku had taken it over, to pass the time. Now Kagura, and even Kanna, were happy to play with Kagome, trying to beat her and build their skills.

With Inuyasha and the others as they touch down

"They're close." Inuyasha as he landed beside Kirara and Sesshomaru and Rin beside him. "Or they were. Their scent is faint now…"

"A barrier, brother." Sesshomaru said. "Over there." He nodded to the side of a large hill that was covered in a thick blanket of foliage. "The entrance is hidden."

Inuyasha glared at his brother and muttered as they walked in the direction he had indicated, "I knew that…mostly…" Sango smiled and Miroku laughed.

"Where is it?" Shippou asked, poking his nose in between the bushes. "I don't see any…OW!" something bit his nose and he withdrew his head. A small rat was on the end of his nose, trying to bite it off. Having been woken by these intruders in its territory, it was trying to protect its young, as all Inuyasha did was flick the little thing off and apply some of the last bit of medicine they had from Kagome onto the wound.

"That's what you get for poking around places without thinking, shrimp." Inuyasha said as the others moved more plants out of the way. "Now come on, let's help." Shippou nodded and got up.

"Over here," Kikyo said, moving aside a large bush. "It's strong, stronger than anything I or Kaeda taught her. It must be…" she stopped herself. "I think only I can get through." She said instead.

"Incorrect," Sesshomaru said, stepping up beside her and putting his hand through the barrier. It sizzled loudly but he was still able to pass. "Come." And he passed all the through, Kikyo right behind him.

"Be careful Sesshomaru-sama, Rin will be displeased if Sesshomaru-sama is hurt!" Rin called after him.

"Dimmit!" Inuyasha yelled just then, making everyone look over at him He was about to run at the barrier, also wanting to go through.

"No, Inuyasha, don't!" Sango yelled and stepped in his way, Miroku at her side. "You'll only get hurt if you try." Miroku said.

"I don't care!" Inuyasha pushed past them and went at the barrier again. "I want to see her!" he hit the barrier. But instead of bouncing him back, or even throwing him back, he passed through it.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha said, looking at himself, making sure he wasn't human. It had happened before, at Mt. Hakura. He had passed through the barrier, but in doing so had become human. But, no, he was still a half demon. "Wait here for us!" Inuyasha called and he raced off after the other two.

With Kagome, Kagura and Kanna in the deep cave

"They're coming closer." Kanna said, looking up from her mirror. "Sesshomaru was able to get through." Kagome nodded. She had slightly expected that this might happen. But it didn't matter. She really didn't know him that well, even with all of the time they had spent together, so she wouldn't be all to much shocked. "And…so had Inuyasha." Kanna said.

Kagome fell to her side, the ache that she had to live with until everything was translated turned into a sharp, stabbing pain that made her eyes roll back. When she came to a few moments later, Kagura's face was the fist thing she saw.

"How many fingers?" she asked, holding up three of them.

"Eighteen." Kagome said, sitting up. "I'm fine, just…a little dizzy."

Kagura watched her a moment before she said, "They not to far off, Sesshomaru and Kikyo. Inuyasha is having a harder time with it though. All of those barriers are really starting to drain his energy and life." Kagome's face paled. "They'll notice." Kagura said, knowing what Kagome wanted to do.

"So?" she said. "They already know I'm here, why keep them waiting?" Kagura just shook her head and cursed a little. Kagome only smiled and went to the gaping black hole in the wall that was the entrance and exit into their, for now, home.

Raising her hands to the wall on her right she mouthed a word in ancient Japanese that Kikyo had taught her. Ten of her twenty barriers went down, and she knew it was noticed.

"Now," she said, coming back and laying down beside Kagura and Kanna. "I think I'll take another nap. I want to make sure Naraku doesn't interfere with anything." Kagura nodded and placed a sitting pillow under her head. At times, Kagome thought sleepily, Kagura really can be thoughtful without even realizing it. Sleep claimed her.

With Inuyasha

"At least they're not all at once anymore." He panted as he sat, having come through yet another barrier. They were strong, and had been getting stronger until a moment ago. "She must know we're coming." He said to himself, launching himself up and swaying from sudden dizziness. "So why doesn't she run?" he moved onwards, hoping to make it through the next barriers alive.

Inuyasha would have liked to use his Barrier Breaker move, but in this tight space, and not knowing where Kikyo and Sesshomaru were, or where the end of this tunnel was, he didn't dare risk it. What if it went all the way and hit Kikyo and his brother? Hit Kagome? No, he was better off just fighting his way slowly through the barriers.

With Kikyo and Sesshomaru

"Why are you coming along?" Kikyo asked as she waited for the dog demon to pass through a tough barrier. "I could have come on my own, but you have also followed."

But there was no answer. Pulling the last of his body through he gave the undead Miko a cold stare and said, "She is one of the only people I respect, I shall not let harm come to so rare a person if I may stop it." And he moved on, a shocked Kikyo following a moment later.

"There are two more to go." She said, feeling out with her Miko energy. "But I can't tell from then. Kagome has blocked me from her sight. It is either that or…" once again she stopped herself. "She took down a lot of them. For Inuyasha's benefit?"

Sesshomaru, though, did not reply and continued ahead. Not much farther along they came upon the last two barriers, barely enough room between them to stand without going over into the next. Kikyo easily passed through, but it took Sesshomaru a full five and a half minutes to do it, having to stop often to fight back the purifying power.

"If you don't hurry I'm going to go on ahead and leave you behind." Kikyo said after a few moments. "You are wasting time and I don't think it is time that we have." It had been then that he was able to go through. He only gave her a cold glance before starting ahead again.

With Inuyasha

He was closing in on the last two barriers, the ones that had given his brother so much trouble, and Inuyasha knew that they were there, right beside each other.

"I won't give this up!" he said, panting up to the double barrier. "I'll either make it through here or die. But Kagome's in there, so I'll have to make it damnit!"

But, instead of moving to go through the barrier, he sat next to it to catch his breath. "I won't give up…I won't…" he kept repeating.

With Kagome, Kagura and Kanna

"They're here," Kanna whispered to Kagura. Kagura nodded. She then heard them, both foot falls of Kikyo and Sesshomaru coming down the tunnel.

It was moments before they came into the light spilling from the holes in the ceiling above. Kikyo blinked a few times, trying to get use to the new light. Sesshomaru only blink once, slowly, before he looked down at the three girls on the floor.

"Hello Kikyo, Sesshomaru, so glad you could make it to our little tea party." Kagura said, standing up. "What do you want?"

"We're here to see Kagome, Kagura, not you." Kikyo said, searching the rooms in front of her that she was able to see into. "Where is she? I'm not able to sense her."

"You're also blind." Sesshomaru said and pointed for a moment to the floor. Kikyo looked down, curious to why he wanted her to look at the floor. Then she saw Kagome on the floor. To her, as well to Sesshomaru, it looked as though she was dead.

"What have you done to her?" Kikyo asked, taking a step forward. Kagome, though, moved slightly in her sleep, muttering, "You'll do no such…thing…"

"We haven't done anything to harm her." Kanna said, mirror, as always, in hand. "She has fallen asleep to battle…"

"Quiet, Kanna," said Kagura. "That is not something they are going to know from us." Kanna was silent.

"Battle who?" Kikyo asked, taking another step forward. "What is she doing in her mind? I can feel it, even if I can't feel her. She's…not herself, I've felt that much." She opened her mouth to say more but just then Kagome's eyes came open.

A/N: Sigh RandR ppl or no more chapters for you!

Anyways, how do you like this next chapter? I quite like it. It took me all of three or so days to write it up, I think, but it was worth it so far! I really like it a lot, and I've taken extra time on this one to plan some stuff out…ok, so I've followed none of what I planned but oh well!

Remember, if I don't get enough reviews, I won't post another chapter for a while.

Also, on the Princess Slave fanfiction, I do have another chapter to post, but I want to make it a bit longer. It's only about three pages right now and I want to get it up to about seven or more. The rest of my fanfictions I also am having the same problem: chapters aren't long enough. Anyways, I'll update them as often as I can so stop asking please!

Also, for the people who have e-mailed and asked, I no longer have AIM, ok? Got rid of it cause it sucks. MSN so much better.

sigh sigh sigh sigh sigh sigh I've asked so many time but no one seems to listen to me at all! Please, someone, anyone, read Aoyama Kori Narasaki's fanfictions! The one titled 'Candy Crush' is one that is being co-created by both of us, so if you like my stories you'll most likely like that one to! Thx to all of you who RandR both of our fanfics!

-Nene (Neo Staff)

p.s. Have you seen me? If you have, please call 1-800-look-i-found-a-dead-person-in-the-road-in-the-middle-of-the-night-and-had-nothing-to-do-with-her-murder-which-was-caused-by-my-knife-in-her-back!


	3. See? Not naming chapters

"We haven't done anything to harm her." Kanna said, mirror, as always, in hand. "She has fallen asleep to battle…"

"Quiet, Kanna," said Kagura. "That is not something they are going to know from us." Kanna was silent.

"Battle who?" Kikyo asked, taking another step forward. "What is she doing in her mind? I can feel it, even if I can't feel her. She's…not herself, I've felt that much." She opened her mouth to say more but just then Kagome's eyes came open.

Blinking as she sat up, Kagome said, "Hello Kikyo, Sesshomaru. Haven't seen you two in a while." She smiled up at them, her eyes closed.

"Who have you been battling?" Kikyo asked. Kagome, startled that she knew, opened her eyes and look directly at Kikyo. Her head hurt, her eyes watered, and she felt as though she had been hit in the stomach.

"No…no one." She coughed, looking away towards Kagura and Kanna. "I dunno what you're talking about."

"Clearly you do." Sesshomaru said. "Kikyo has felt it and I can see that you are tainted by a black aura."

Kagome, about to look at him, again startled, held herself back. After her talk with Naraku, she knew not to look at them.

Kagome's DREAM

She was once again on that barren place. This time, though, the black pillar was so much closer then it had ever been.

"Either I'm getting depth perception problems or this isn't good." she told herself, running towards it.

"I knew you'd be back" Naraku said, smiling at her. "What do you want this time, pretty?"

Kagome wanted to hit him for calling her that but didn't dare touch him. "What will happen if they come here?" she asked him.

He laughed. "If you look at them, you'll be hurt. I do have some control over you, you know, and I don't want you to get help from them. Look at them for even a mere second and it'll prove fatal."

It was Kagome's turn to laugh. "You'd die to, genius. Then you'd have no way to come back."

"Yes, but you would be gone as well. If they tried to bring you back again, I would be even more powerful and break out of your weak mind with ease."

Kagome just shook her head and said, "Whatever. We'll see if that's true or not. And I'm going to find a way to get you out of me." She turned away. The scraping of metal on rock, though, made her turn back. Some of the chains on Naraku had disappeared.

"Weak." He said, and Kagome was speeding back to her waking self.

With Inuyasha

"Come on…" Inuyasha urged himself. "It's not that much longer…I can feel her." He got up from his long rest against the wall and launched himself at the barrier. Biting his tongue to keep his yell inside his mouth, he pressed on slowly. It was like going through jelly, or the thick blood of a demon.

"You always did say I was to stubborn. Well, you're right." Inuyasha mumbled to himself, directing the words at Kagome, deeper in the cave. "Which means I won't give up! I'm going to see you, I'm going to make myself see that you're alive. You won't run away from me this time."

With Kagome and the others

'You always did say I was to stubborn.' Inuyasha was able to hear Inuyasha's voice. She didn't know how she was able, and it seemed that the others weren't able to, so she listened, wondering what she would hear next. 'Well, you're right. Which means I won't give up! I'm going to see you, I'm going to make myself see that you're alive. You won't run away from me this time.'

"Never, Inuyasha." She whispered back, wondering if he would be able to hear her. "Never did I run. Only went to Fate. Please don't come any closer. It'll just make things worse…please…" everyone one looked at her.

"Kagome-sama?" asked Kanna. Kagura felt the girl's forehead and said, "Are you feeling well? Cause if you're about to throw up, do it somewhere else." Kagome shook her head and turned her face towards the entrance, and away from Kikyo and Sesshomaru. Sighing, she took down the barriers slowly, so as not to harm Inuyasha.

With Inuyasha

He'd heard her reply. It must have been the barrier, or something, because how else would they be able to talk to each other? He gritted his teeth in sudden pain from the barrier…then it was gone, both the pain and the barriers.

"Kagome…" he whispered, catching his breath before he ran on again. "I'm not going to go back. How the Hell will I see you that way? And I'm not going to make things worse, there's no one to fight."

He saw light, and knew he was close to the end of the tunnel, closer to Kagome.

With Kagome and the others

"Kagura," Kagome suddenly said, getting up off the floor. "I want to leave. He's not going back and we know what'll happen if I stay here."

"Hold on one moment," Kikyo said, stepping forward and reaching for Kagome. Kagura, though, stepped in her way and Kikyo's hand wrapped around her arm instead. Kikyo, startled by this action, removed her hand and said to Kagome, "What will happen? Why are you alive? How do you have a living, whole body? Who are you fighting?" she was trying to get as many answers as she could, not knowing if any of her questions would be answered.

There was a long pause in which Kagome was able to hear the faint patting of Inuyasha's feet on the tunnel floor. "Kagura, please, let's leave." Kagura nodded and removed a feather from her hair. "You'll need to blast the roof if we want to get out safely." She said, turning her attention to Kagome again.

Kagome nodded, already extracting her spells to make it easier to hit the rock directly. "I know," she said, turning her head only slightly in Kikyo and Sesshomaru's direction so as not to have to look at them. "You two might want to get out of here, this place won't stand long once it's hit." She and Kanna climbed onto the feather. "And Kikyo." She sighed. "Tell Inuyasha I love him." The feather started to rise, but something stopped them. It was Sesshomaru, his hand wrapped around the side of the feather.

"Where do you think you are going?" he asked, keeping the feather in place. "You have not answered any questions."

"Let us go, please, Sesshomaru-sama. This isn't a game, we need to leave right now before Inuyasha comes." She tried to get him to let go, without really touching him, but she wasn't able to. "Please…" she whispered.

"No," he said.

"Sesshomaru, let them go." Kikyo said, eyeing Kagome suspiciously. "But answer two thing first Kagome." Kagome nodded, still trying to get him to let go. "Who are you fighting and why can't you look at us or see Inuyasha?" it turned out to be three questions, but they all had the same answer. Inuyasha's padding feet could be heard, and they were closer then ever.

"Naraku…" Kagome said, and in the back or her mind she heard him laugh. "And because he'll take me over…again…" Sesshomaru let them go, and they soared up. "Leave this place!" Kagome called down to them, pushing with her Miko powers onto the roof, and it started to crack.

Kikyo and Sesshomaru turned, about to run to the exit, and were met by Inuyasha instead. He rushed past them as rocks began to fall.

"Kagome!" he called, staring at the feather as it rose higher. For a moment that was all he could see. Then, her face came out over the side. "Kagome!" he called again.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, the pain inside of her becoming almost unbearable because she would not take her eyes from him. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to say…but you can't keep coming after me." Taking a deep breath she yelled, "Inuyasha you bastard of a hanyou, I hate you!" and they were out of the cave, soaring in the opposite direction as the camp Sango and the others had made.

Inuyasha stood there, inside the rapidly crumbling cave, dumbstruck. "Come on Inuyasha!" called Kikyo, running back to get him. "We have to go!"

Not really aware of what he was doing, Inuyasha followed them out of the cave.

With Kagome, Kagura and Kanna

Kagome was crying. She had never wanted to say that to him, never would have if Naraku hadn't been inside of her. But she had, and now she just wanted to die. "It had to be done." Kagura said, moving over to the girl and hugging her, which surprised Kagome very much. "Don't cry, Kagome-sama, it's to high of an emotion." But Kagome couldn't stop, and there was no pain, so she didn't really care.

"Where are we going?" Kanna asked, looking at her mirror and watching the land under them go by through it.

"Mt. Hakura." Kagura said, making Kagome's tears stop. "I don't think Inuyasha would want to go back there, not since that was where Kikyo had been killed for that second time. Kagome will also be able to put up another barrier, stronger then the last. It'll be easier from there to work out the last of the clues."

Kagome, sitting herself back and slightly away from Kagura said, "What makes you think that?"

"Well, it's where Kikyo was killed and where Naraku last remade himself, so they might not think to look there for you." Kagura said, yawning. It had been a long last few hours for all of them.

"No," Kagome said, shaking her head, which only made her headache worsen. "What makes you think that I'll be able to make a stronger barrier?"

Kagura shrugged and said, "Cause you're stronger than that damn old mummy that was there before." She shrugged again and said, "Also because there is still a lot of pure air there and you can use that to your advantage when making the barrier."

Kagome nodded, knowing that that was true. Then again, the last time that Inuyasha had gone through the barrier, he had been turned into a human and almost killed. What if this time he was totally purified, not just turned into a human? She shook her head slightly, not wanting to think about it at all. But she did anyways. Pictures of Inuyasha's body, bruised, bleeding, and broken filled her mind. Inuyasha, caught between two barriers that were slowly closing in on him.

Thankfully Kagura broke her thoughts by saying, "We're almost there, I can see the mountain now." Kagome looked up and was also able to see the result of tectonic plates converging on each other. There, not far off in the distance, was Mt. Hakura.

"How much longer do you think?" Kagome asked, trying to keep herself awake. Even though she had already had two naps, she was exhausted. It had been a long day on all of them and all she wanted to do right then was sleep. But even then she wouldn't be getting the full rest that she deserved. She would again awaken in that barren field, have to talk to Naraku, then awaken and re-tell what she had said/seen.

"Five minutes give or take." Kagura said, looking over to the distant mountain with hatred. "It might be a sacred mountain, but I still don't like it. That's where we were cooped up for so long and I never thought I'd be going back there."

Kagome just laughed slightly, to tired to really do anything more. She settled herself back, slightly uncomfortable, so that she wouldn't fall asleep. It worked, but only slightly. She had started to doze a bit, and saw the plain, when they touched down on the ground, high up on the mountain, near one of the cave systems that Naraku, Kagura, Kanna, and many other scores of demons had used previously.

"If we take this path we'll find where that old mummy had been. It should be the easiest place to make another barrier from." She looked over at Kagome, who was shaking her self to get her blood moving and to wake herself up. "Come on, doggy, we don't have all day." Kagome just rolled her eyes and followed.

They hadn't walked for long when they started to hear the faint clicking of insect legs, large ones, on the stone floor. "Demon." Kagura whispered. "I guess they didn't think to leave after the barrier went down. Bakas." She whipped her fan open, ready to send blades of wind to cut whatever demon was coming after them to pieces.

The noise stopped, though, right at the edge of their vision. Whatever was there had just spotted them and was either waiting for them to come to it, or it was afraid of them. Whichever it was, Kagome didn't want to find out. She might be friends with a lot of demons, but most of the other one's that she had met she didn't like.

"Whooooosssss theeeeeeeeereeeeee?" asked a snake like voice. If it was a snake, Kagome thought, then why was it making clicking noises? "Get oooooooooooooooooouts ooooooooof my waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaysssss." It said.

"It sounds as though it doesn't know how to speak or something." Kagome whispered. "It's holding the letters way to long." Kagura nodded, taking a step forward and trying to see what the thing speaking to them was.

"I asssssssssked whooooooo you weeeeeeeereeeeeeee." The voice came again. "Anssssssssssssswer meeeeee or I'llllllll eat yooooooooouuu."

"You? Eat us?" Kagura asked. Apparently from her position, about seven paces ahead, she could see the thing clearly. "Even before you had little power unless you were connected to someone." Kagome, curious, hurriedly stepped up beside Kagura and gasped. It was a baby, or what had maybe once been a baby. A baby that Kagome had seen before.

"What's arrre yoooouuu tallllking aboutssss weeeench?" it asked. It seemed that, the longer it was in their presence, the better its speech got. "I havesss no time for yooouuur trrrrrivalll maattters."

It started to go around them, and they let him. None of them could really find a reason to stop him, since he didn't really seem to remember them. It stopped, though, not very far from them and started to mutter something. As he did so, a black liquid, hard to see in the little light they had, came out the back of his body. It spread, and where it touched started to melt.

Kagura, wasting no time, threw her blades of wind at it, cutting it to pieces. "What _was_ that?" Kagome asked, stepping back. "Was it the same baby from before?" she looked to Kagura, who shook her head.

"I don't think so." She said. "Remember Naraku had a lot of lumps of flesh I cavern. This…baby…might have once been one of those. A lot of things might have hatched since we were last here."

They started to head deeper, and higher, into the mountain. Though they were watchful, and Kagome used some of her power to shield them, no other demons came at them. Finally, fed up and feeling like she was being watched or that she was only waiting to be killed or something, Kagome said, "That's it! Why aren't there any other demons here?"

Kagura just shook her head and said, "I might have been wrong. They might all have been crushed or something, I dunno. Why? You wanna risk our lives or something?" Kagome shook her head, blushing.

"No," she said. "It's just that…I don't like waiting for things that are bad to happen." Kagura just nodded, still keeping her ears and eyes, and demons senses as well, open for any sign of attack or demon nearby. Still nothing came at them, though, and they finally came out into light, an alter or some sort in front of them.

"What's that?" Kagome asked, starting to walk up to it. "It looks like an alter or something." She reached out to touch it and found her hand on a barrier that she wasn't able to pass.

"It's where that mummy had sat." Kagura said, her and Kanna coming up next to Kagome. "And that barrier is what you'll use to make the new one." Kagome looked at her but she just shrugged.

"Fine then." Kagome said, placing both hands on it to feel its energy properly. "Wow…powerful. Ok, let's see. I think if I just…" she fell silent and her energy started to form around her. She couldn't remember afterwards how long she stood there, or really what had happened, but next second she was on the plain again, seemingly having been knocked out.

Kagome's DREAM

Yelling her fury, Kagome started to make her way towards Naraku and the ever closer pillar of black rock. What had happened? Had she fallen asleep? Been knocked out? Had the barrier gone up? What had happened?

"So you're back again?" Naraku said, coldly chuckling. "Really now, you'd think we were engaged."

"You make me sick." Kagome said, sitting down facing him. Was it her imagination or were there even less chains again? She took a closer look at the chained demon. No, it wasn't. A while ago she had only been able to see his face. Now most of his legs were exposed. "What's happening?" she asked herself, forgetting Naraku would hear.

"You're losing." He said. "And I'm going to be free soon." Kagome glanced at him before she smirked and said, "Chat's over, freak."

In the village at Mt. Hakura's base

"Lady Nar! Lady Nar! The barrier around Mt. Hakura is back!" one villager called. "Lady Nar! It's an omen!"

The lady he was trying to speak to turned around to face him. "I am aware of this, Jen. We do not know why though. Go back to your home." The man, Jan, obeyed her, not wanting to be put to death for contradicting the lady.

"What does this mean, Lady?" asked one of her guards as they entered the temple. "_Is_ this an omen?"

"Of course it is." The Lady snapped. "An omen of death."

With Kagome, Kagura and Kanna

"You awake yet?" Kagura asked her, trying to sound nonchalant. She didn't achieve that, though, since her face betrayed her. "Come on, get up." Kagome yawned and stretched, just to annoy Kagura a little, then slowly rose up.

"What happened?" she asked, looking around her. "Did I do it? Is there a barrier up?" She looked at Kagura who was trying to hide a smile. She really was truly happy that Kagome had done it. Knowing that her voice might betray her, she only nodded. Kagome smiled happily, then laughed, then took Kanna's hands in her and started to dance around. Poor Kanna, not use to this sort of activity, let her self be pulled along, almost dropping her mirror.

"Come on, Kagome-sama, I think you're going to make Kanna into a human if you keep doing that." Kagome just laughed some more and let go of Kanna, who at once stopped moving. "We need to get into the tunnels again. If there's mortals in there we need to get them to leave." She suddenly stopped, having been making her way towards the tunnel entrance. Turning back to Kagome she said, "Do you think you might be able to make an illusion? Of Naraku maybe, or a giant demon?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment. In her lessons with Kaeda, then Kikyo, then at those few temples she had dared stop at, she had learned many forms of illusion. Yes, she would be able to make one, and she could use the rocks around here and the barrier to help keep it going, without draining her of all of her magic.

"Yes," she said slowly, still thinking it over a bit. "Yeah, sure, if I just…yeah." She looked up at Kagura and said, "Who, or what, do you want me to make and where?" It was Kagura's turn to think now.

"Make Naraku, he'll scare the demons away as well as the villagers." She thought for another moment and said, "And make him here. Then it'll be able to go through the tunnels in front of us and keep demons back. That should be good enough for now."

Kagome just nodded and went to sit in front of the alter. Placing her hands on either side of her, she let her energy flow out of her and form up into the shape of Naraku. She felt her body starting to take the strain, but she ignored it, only concentrating on the pinkish blue image in front of her. Putting more energy into it, she made it as solid as she could. In all it took an hour and a half to make the entire thing. She was putting the last touch on it, smell, when Kanna said, "Look." To Kagura. Kagome ignore them until she was finished, finally, then she stood up, wincing, as her muscles protested.

"What is it?" she asked, walking over to them. "The village or something?" Kagura, not looking at Kagome, shook her head and just motioned Kagome to come and look. "What?" she asked again, walking stiffly over to them. Reaching them, without getting an answer from either, she looked down into the mirror. What she saw there made her gasp.

There, at the back of Mt. Hakura, were hundreds of thousands of demons. The image in Kanna's mirror wasn't still either. It was moving, showing them more and more demons.

"Where'd they all come from?" Kagome asked, looking up at Kagura. "Are they all of the one's that Naraku rejected?" Kagura, and Kanna as well, nodded.

"They must be." Kagura sad. "I didn't know there were going to be that many here though. I'd never really gotten to see how many he'd rejected or anything. I don't think they'll be that hard to slay, though. Come on." Kagome nodded, then turned to the Naraku she had created. It was still standing where she had left it.

"Come on," she said to it. It moved forward slightly and looked at her. She shivered. Even if it was a fake, she still didn't like him, or it. "I want you to go through these tunnels and scare away any mortals that might be in them. Don't kill them or the same thing'll happen to you. If you find any demons, you can kill them." She watched the thing, waiting for a reply of some kind. She didn't get one so she said, "Understand? Mortals live, demons die."

"Understood." Naraku-doll said. "Mortal live demon die." Kagome nodded and the doll left them, heading into the tunnels and taking a path they wouldn't be.

"You sure that thing won't get a mind of its own and start to go on a rampage or something?" Kagura asked, looking after it as they took the opposite tunnel path.

"Positive." Kagome said, not at all worried. "I didn't give it a mind or heart, or anything. It only has the shape of Naraku. Everything else is from memory, the way her smells, his voice, clothing, stuff like that. I could have made him into just a blob and it would have worked." She smiled, happy with her work and happy that she was still able to help.

"Fine then," Kagura said. "Come on, we have some demons to slay today."

Kagome nodded and laughed. "Kagura," she said. "We have demons to slay _every_ day!" Kagura just glared at her, which only made Kagome laugh more.

"We're almost there." Kanna said. Kagura and she both knew most of the secret paths that cut a walk that would normally have taken them thirty minutes to walk down to ten to twenty at most. "They know we're coming." She added. Kagome and Kagura just nodded. Sighing, Kagome took out an arrow and swung her bow off of her back. Kagura had grabbed both quiver, arrows and bow as they had been leaving the previous cave, knowing that Kagome would forget them.

"Get ready," Kagura said, flicking her fan open. "We don't want any surprises, though that exactly what we're getting." Looking ahead, they were all able to see the opening to the back of the mountain. A few more steps and…they were out side, the noise of the demons almost deafening.

"Let's go!" Kagome yelled, and she swung her bow up, arrow in place, and let it fly. She might be tainted by Naraku, but she was still a Miko. As her arrow flew the demons near it were purified and disappeared. Kagura's wind sliced many of the demons to shreds as they came at them, not giving them even the slightest chance to get close. Kanna, her mirror acting as a void, sucked the demons up shot them back at the other demons, their teeth and claws slicing each other to pieces.

"I never thought I'm say this," Kagome panted as she shot another arrow. "But I sort of feel sorry for these demons." Suddenly she felt lighter, as though something inside of her had receded.

"Kagome!" Kagura yelled. "Watch out!" Kagome looked up in time to see a score of demons flying at her. Not having time to swing her bow up she instead blasted them with raw Miko energy, killing them instantly. She collapsed, exhausted from using to much energy in a short amount of time.

Kagome's DREAM

The pillar had receded slightly. Sighing, though knowing now that this was a good thing, Kagome started to jog towards it. As she came up to it, and jogged around the side she was able to hear Naraku talking to himself, apparently unaware that she was there.

"That damned Miko! She's getting to close to what she has to do! If she so much as kisses that hanyou bastard I'll be gone." Kagome heard him laugh. "She'll never do it. She hates him, she told him so. Her little face was so fun to watch. But one little kiss and I'm on to Hell."

'So,' Kagome thought. 'If I kiss Inuyasha,' her heart skipped a beat at the thought. 'Then he'll be gone! Right?' she came around the side of the pillar and smiled at Naraku, which was a hard thing to do. She noticed, though, that he seemed to have more chains over himself.

"What do you want now, wench?" Naraku asked. "I have more important things to do than talk with the likes of you."

Kagome didn't speak, though, only sat and watched Naraku, wondering if she would be able to any chains come off of him. Nothing happen though and it was a long time, about twenty-five minutes, before Kagome was aware of the slight tug that meant she was waking up.

"I'll see you again soon." Kagome said, standing up. "Not the most wonderful idea in the world, but then again it means I get to see you weak and chained." And she smiled as she felt herself wake.

"I'm not weak, Miko, and I will soon have control of this body." Was the last she heard form him as she opened her eyes.

With Inuyasha and the others

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked. "Are you ok?" It had only been a few moments since Inuyasha, Kikyo and Sesshomaru had come racing out of the cave, but in that short time everyone was able to see that something had gone on in there.

"Fine," Inuyasha said, not looking at anyone. It was a moment before he turned to Kikyo and Sesshomaru and asked, "What did you find out?"

Kikyo glanced at Sesshomaru, who was still looking at Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha…it's…" Inuyasha cut her off. "What did you find out!"

"N…nothing…" Kikyo said, placing her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Inuyasha…" he grabbed her hand, roughly, and said, "Tell me." He squeezed her hand, hard.

"Naraku," he said, gasping. "It's Naraku." Inuyasha let go and she massaged the bruised joints. "I think he's inside of her somehow. In her mind in some way I think." Inuyasha and the others all stared at her. What was she talking about? Sighing she sat down next to Inuyasha and said, "I think it was Kagura and Kanna who brought her back, but something went wrong. She's not herself, she's not pure anymore. She has hatred in her heart."

"What?" Inuyasha said. "But…she's Kagome. A Miko. How can she not be…"

"I don't know." Kikyo said. "I think it has to do with the way she was brought back. They didn't use grave soil, as how I was brought back, since she was a fresh corpse. I think they used some of her blood and maybe some of Naraku's seeped in or something." She was silent for a moment before saying, "If that's what happened then what she said would make since."

"What? What did she say?" Inuyasha asked, getting impatient. All he wanted to do was see Kagome. But she had said she hated him. No, that must have been from Naraku, if he was really inside of her somehow.

"She said that it was Naraku that she was fighting. That if she stopped fighting him he would take control of her…again…"

"Again?" Miroku and Shippou asked. "What did she mean again?" Sango said.

"I don't know." Kikyo said. "Maybe that it had happened before? She didn't give details."

"Does this mean Kagome won't remember me?" asked Shippou.

"What about Rin?" asked Rin. "Will Kagome forget about Rin to?"

"No, no." Kikyo said. "She hasn't forgotten about us." Kikyo glanced behind her, to the bubble that had once been the cave where Kagome was hidden. "It would have helped if we could just go in there and look around but it's all destroyed now." She got up and went to examine the entrance anyways, just to see if there would be anyway to unblock it.

Sesshomaru, bored with this conversation, walked past Rin, indicating to her to follow him on a walk. Jaken ,their ever present annoyance, followed as well. Sesshomaru, wanting to talk with Rin alone, told Jaken to look after Ah-Un, who had returned sometime ago from leaving the babies with Kaeda, for an hour. Though Rin was only sixteen, and a mortal, Sesshomaru had long since come to the realization that he loved her. She had long know, to, that she loved him, though at first it had only been a child's love. Rin loved to go on walks with him, and she loved being able to make him speak more than a few words.

They headed off into the trees, quietly, so no one would notice them. Sesshomaru, not wanting to hurt Rin, told himself to wait until she was older before they did anything…physical. The farthest they'd ever gotten was kissing, and only slight fondling, nothing serious. It was a small secret, but it meant a great deal to them.

Shippou, having lost one playmate, went to Kirara and they started to play a game of tag. It was a small distraction, but they were both happy for it. It took Shippou's mind from Kagome and Kirara's mind from worrying about Sango. It also gave Shippou a reason to yell without getting into much trouble. Today, though, he knew to be quiet so that the adults could talk.

Sango and Miroku, holding hands, were sitting together, worrying about Kagome. What if something bad really did happen to her? What if she got taken over, or whatever could happen, again? And, though they both really didn't want to think about it, what if she attacked Kaeda's village? What choice would Sango and Miroku have but to fight?

Inuyasha, sitting alone still, tried to think of something to do. He wanted to go after Kagome, but he didn't know where she had gone to. He might look all over Japan and never find her! He sighed. They would have to do the same thing they did for the Shikon no Tama shards…search for rumors.

An idea struck Inuyasha. The shards! The Shikon no Tama! If he could make it whole he could make everything the way it had been, Kagome by his side. He could tell her…everything that he'd ever wanted to say to her. But, then again, it might be to late by the time they found all of the shards. Kagome might be in even more danger, hurt, dieing…dead even by that time.

"Inuyasha?" Came Kikyo's voice. "Come and look at this."

A/N: RandR!

HAHAHA! ANOTHER EVIL CLIFFY! Sorry, but I just had to stop it there! Ok, I know I'm going to be yelled at for doing it but oh well! Anyways, hope you liked this new chapter, I'm gonna start on the next one right away! Oh, and sorry for changing the title but I think people thought it was all in Japanese or something…I dunno…and remember, RandR or no new chappi for you!

-Nene (Neo Staff)

p.s. for all of you who are perverts out there…Rin and Sesshomaru don't do anything in the forest! Gosh, sickos! Lol, Ja Ne!


	4. meh, no chapter name for you

Inuyasha, sitting alone still, tried to think of something to do. He wanted to go after Kagome, but he didn't know where she had gone to. He might look all over Japan and never find her! He sighed. They would have to do the same thing they did for the Shikon no Tama shards…search for rumors.

An idea struck Inuyasha. The shards! The Shikon no Tama! If he could make it whole he could make everything the way it had been, Kagome by his side. He could tell her…everything that he'd ever wanted to say to her. But, then again, it might be to late by the time they found all of the shards. Kagome might be in even more danger, hurt, dieing…dead even by that time.

"Inuyasha?" Came Kikyo's voice. "Come and look at this."

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked softly, making his way over to her. He really didn't care about anything right then, except Kagome. "What?" he asked again.

"Look," was all Kikyo said. So Inuyasha did. Following to where she pointed he saw something, what looked like a book, sticking out of the rubble. "What…" he said, picking it up. It was a diary

Kagome's Diary

October 2

Dear Diary,

Never thought I'd be writing a diary…but I really want to get down what happened. A few days ago, I died and so did Naraku. I also told Inuyasha I loved him…sigh and now my heart is beating so fast. What is this ache? It can't be from thinking about Inuyasha, it hurts to much. Oh well, it must just be an after effect. I'm going to stop writing for now, it hurts to much.

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October 3

The pain's gone away. I wonder what it was from? Kagura and Kanna are nice. Kanna, though she's quiet, lies to play card games with me. I guess in a way she really is a little demon girl at heart. Well, I guess I should say how I was brought back. Meant to before but it hurt to much. Well, after I was killed and made my wishes I stayed for a moment, wanting one last look at Inuyasha. Ow! Stupid pain. I wish I had some medicine. sigh anyways, Kagura told me that she and Kanna would bring me back. The details are really fuzzy right now, but Kagura says that's to be expected. She's like an older sister in a way, nothing like Sango, but still sisterly. She may have hated us for a while, but she says that she was only doing it under orders. Is that true? I don't know and it seems kinda rude to ask. Well, I think Kanna sucked up some blood or something, and what little of my flesh was left. Icky! That seems something that really sticks out in my mind. They took me some place, I couldn't see where, but I could hear them arguing with someone. I still haven't found out who it was, but I have a guess. I think they took me to the edge of life and death, and I think that they were either arguing with Kami or Fate. What it would be to argue with one of them! In the end, I remember waking up, in some cave, in my body and freaking out cause I saw Kagura and Kanna there. They explained to me, slowly, what had happened until I started to remember. I asked to go after Inuyasha but they said my body needed to rest. They both look really worried, even Kanna. Inuyasha…I miss you…so much. Ow ow ow ow ow! Damnit, I have to stop again. The stupid pain, which Kagura says, while _not_ looking at me, is because I'm not letting my body heal.

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October 6

Been a while since I last wrote anything. We've been moving for a while now. Kagura said that it's not safe to stay in one place for a while, Inuyasha might come after me. I really don't care. I only want to see him, hold him, something! Ow…ignoring it. I'd love to kiss him, and I don't care if he doesn't love me. One little kiss…I might be able to live with that. Ow…why is the pain growing? I wonder…if I just ran away from Kagura and Kanna in the night, would I be able to make it to Inuyasha? Or would they stop me? Ugh, it feels like my body is getting heavy…and the pain isn't stopping now…Inuyasha…help me…why are Kagura and Kanna…yelling…is something…

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With Inuyasha

Most of the rest of the page was ripped away and Inuyasha was able to see to the next one. He turned to it.

Kagome's Diary

November 27

It's over, finally. It seems like a nightmare now. But…if it was, then why can I still feel their blood on my hands? The child's…the parents...it must be real then…

With Inuyasha

Inuyasha gasped. What was she talking about? His Kagome, the one he knew, would never kill anyone.

Kagome's Diary

What would Inuyasha say? No, I'm not suppose to think about him. Kagura says that something went bad when they were remaking my body with all that blood. She says that somehow some of Naraku's got into the mix and has tainted me. She says that's why he was able to possess me. If I have to big of emotions, like think about how much I love Inuyasha, then I can be turned into him. I really don't understand it really well. She says that Naraku's only emotion was a brutal sort of happiness he got when he killed something. Well, that's not to hard to believe. Then again, I sorta feel sorry for him. When he was Onigumo he must have really loved Kikyo. He just wanted to be with her, but couldn't cause he was to weak. Why do I suddenly feel really light? Not as though I have weights on my shoulders? I'll have to ask Kagura or Kanna about it. They've both been teaching how to close myself off from Naraku so he won't be able to know exactly what I'm feeling. It's sorta been working. They've also, well Kanna mostly, been teaching me to not think about my emotions, therefore I won't have them…or not a lot of them. I really don't like the idea, but if it means that it'll keep me from turning into Naraku then I'll be happy. I wonder what Inuyasha is doing?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him

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November 28

I'm still a little tired from the whole thing. Kagura says that I should just shut up and sleep. But I don't want to. I keep asking her what happened, cause she's been telling me the more I ask. She's really not that bad, once you get to know her. I wonder if Inuyasha is doing well?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him again

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November 29

Today we had some villagers come after us because they saw Kanna and thought that she was a demon. Well, ok, that's true but still. I told Kagura not to kill them so she sighed really loudly and just knocked them all over with some wind so we would be able to leave. I don't think she would have killed them, even if I hadn't asked her She really doesn't seem to like killing, but then again if I were her I would hate it even more than I do now. She's just seen to much I think. I wonder how Inuyasha would react?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him…AGAIN!

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With Inuyasha

He noticed that she kept referring to him at the end of her entries now. Was it so she wouldn't have to stop think about him?

Kagome's Diary

December 4

I put off writing this for long enough. I stopped writing a few days ago because I knew that if I did I would put down what happened to me. Well, I think I will. It's been long enough and I want to remember this. Ok, no I don't, but I don't want to forget it either.

It started right after I did the entry for October 6th. I had dropped my pen because my hand had started to change color. Kagura and Kanna were running at me, Kagura yelling something about not thinking about Inuyasha or anyone. Well, that was a big help. The second she said that I did and then think I blacked out. I remember waking up in some field. I was chained to a pillar, I think. It was really black and ugly. I was chained to it to, all the way up to my neck. (Now it's him chained there now and I feel like laughing at him each time I see him like that.) Oh, I feel heavy now. I'm not getting fat am I? He was there watching me as I struggled to get free. "You'll never leave here." He said and kinda faded. I don't know how long I was there. Really, I'm just glad that I didn't go insane. THERE WAS NOTHING THERE TO LOOK AT! I do remember, now, that I wouldn't stop thinking about Inuyasha. Well, I didn't have anything better to do. Or, nothing better to do that I knew of. After a few days, I think it was a few days anyway, I remember that I started to fight the chains again. I really didn't want to be there so I fought. Naraku kept coming to "visit" after that and asking me stuff. At first I just ignored him, concentrating on fight my bonds. Then I answered him, which made him really nervous. I don't remember a question he asked, only that he asked me stuff. After a while he stopped visiting and some of the chains started to disappear. It was then that I woke up, covered in blood from head to toe and crying like mad. I don't remember what happened after that and Kagura only says that they got me cleaned up. I don't know, but I think she's lying. Would Inuyasha question her more than I did?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him, darn

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March 8

Nothing happened to me. I just lost the diary for a while. I want to remember that, so I don't think later that I did more killing. It's gotten easier to not think about me emotions. And I've been getting some training at any temples that we pass. The Priestesses and Priests there are happy to help me, as long as I don't tell them who I really am or what's wrong with me. It's really helped me to get by. The other day I mastered a new technique. It's a sort of illusion that's, in a way, real. You can touch it and stuff, but it's hard to hurt it. I think it might come in handy later. Along with that I also learned other illusion spells, and got the ones I'd leaned from Kikyo-sama and Kaeda (I wonder how she is?) better. They might help if we need to scare some demons or, if necessary, humans away so they don't get hurt. Kagura says there might be another use for it but she won't tell me what she's got in her head. I think it has something to do with Inuyasha. Would Inuyasha be stubborn and pout until he got an answer?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him, still

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May 22

Lost the diary again. I don't think I'm gonna keep writing in it. It's getting to hectic. I'll just do a few more entries to let myself remember this stuff later. He was again there in my dreams. I guess I can call them dreams. Maybe it should be DREAM? He's now the one chained to that pillar instead of me. But he doesn't stop making fun of me, or trying to get me mad. I'm not going to though cause it'll let him out again. I wonder if Inuyasha is having fun?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him, I'm getting tired of it.

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June 1

Had the diary this whole time, to tired to write in it though. All because of him. He's getting on my nerves sorta. I can't kill him, though, because I need him in me to get him out. What a weird concept. Would Inuyasha just kill him anyways to see what happened?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him, once again…….

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September 29

I had a lot of entries in here, but a demon got to it and ripped a lot of them out. Kagura kick its butt for me, I was to weak from deciphering the tablet. That's right, it got ripped out. Ok, so I don't forget I'll remind myself what the tablet is. Well, it guess I can't call it a tablet anymore really since Kanna copied it and now it's on this paper we have. It's in some ancient language which, for some reason, I am slightly able to translate. The tablet, according to Kagura, is the key to getting Naraku out of me. She also says that I can read some of it because of some demon that Naraku devoured. It's a scary thought, that Naraku is helping me even if he doesn't want to. I've also noticed that I seem to have, another scary though, some traits of his. Well, demons in general. My sense of smell is a lot better then it had been, so is my eye sight. I can see a lot better in the dark to. My Miko powers haven't been effected, which is a plus. Anyways, translating what the paper says really takes it out of me. For some reason Naraku isn't able to know what I'm doing when I'm translating. Can it have something to do with the energy that transferred to the paper from the tablet? There are a few more parts that I have to get through, hopefully soon, so I'm going to go work on it now. I wonder how this would effect Inuyasha?

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him at all

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October 20

This is my last entry. My life is just getting to busy to keep writing. I should say, though, that there is only one more part of the paper that I have to translate…and which I can't. Kagura says that it's the most ancient part of all of the text. She says that maybe even Naraku might not have been able to know what it meant. We're trying to find someone, or a demon would be better really, who knows what it says. Maybe there'll be something that has a copy of this or something and knows what it says. Like the knowledge is passed down generation to generation or something. Well, going to bed now. Not going to get much sleep, but oh well. Will Inuyasha ever find out what happened to me?

Here's what the paper says, just in case we lose the one we have right now.

With Inuyasha

He wasn't able to make out a thing it said. It all looked like lines and circles and shapes to him.

Kagome's Diary

p.s. didn't sleep well again because of Him last night

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With Inuyasha and the others

While Inuyasha had been reading, Kikyo had wondered away, looking for another way in. Miroku and Sango had gone to gather wood, as it was starting to turn into night. Jaken, tired of caring for Ah-Un had wondered over to watch Shippou and Kirara play, yelling at them every once in a while. Shippou and Kirara, still full of energy, were still playing around. Sesshomaru and Rin were still in the woods. Inuyasha sat in a tree, reading over most of the diary again.

'Well, I did find out what happened to her.' Inuyasha thought, tucking the diary into his shirt. 'I don't want the others to read this. I'll just tell them what I read.' He got ready to jump down but yawned instead. 'Tomorrow. It's to dark to go now.' He looked up into the sky as his eyes closed. "Be safe, Kagome…" he whispered and drifted off into sleep.

Inuyasha's Dream

He was standing on a gray, flat plain. Nothing around him was moving. Off in the distance he was able to see a black tower rising up into the red sky.

"Where am I?" he asked himself. His voice echoed.

"Hell," a familiar voice replied. Inuyasha spun around to find Kagome standing there, watching him with dark black eyes. "You are in Hell." She said.

"How'd I get here?" he asked her. "And why are you here?" Her face was like stone, no emotions showing anywhere.

"You brought me here." She said simply. She walked forward and Inuyasha thought she was going to touch him. Instead she walked past him, going in the direction of the tower.

"Kagome, wait!" he called, trying to go after he. His feet wouldn't move. "Kagome!" he called again. "What the Hell is happening?"

"You are being devoured." She said. "By apple. She loves smell cooking rotten." Her voice started to fade. Inuyasha didn't understand what she was saying.

"Kagome!" he tried again. "Kagome!"

"Meow bean sour water chest of a now be!" she called to him, as though he would understand. He didn't, of course. The world around him started to fade. For a moment he was nowhere and at the same time, everywhere.

He could see Kaeda, playing with the babies. He was able to see Jaken, lumps on his head, asleep at the edge of the camp. Kagome's Mother, getting ready for bed even though it was late at night. Souta, thrashing in his sleep from a nightmare.

Sango and Miroku, holding hands a they slept with frowns on their faces. Shippou and Kirara, curled up next to each other, asleep. A girl Inuyasha didn't know, dressed as Kagome in a short skirt and shirt, kissing a boy without a shirt on. A girl, black haired and green eyed, sitting at her desk typing something on what Kagome had told him was a 'computer.'

Then he saw her, Kagome, laying asleep. She was so beautiful but looked to sad. Where was she? Inuyasha tried to look around and saw Kagura and Kanna next to her. They were in another cave, but where Inuyasha didn't know. Faintly he heard Kagome whisper in her sleep, "Inuyasha." And then he was back on the gray plain.

"Damnit, where is she?" he said. "Kagome?" he felt someone staring at him from behind and turned to find Kagome again there. She smiled and ran past him. He turned to see where she went and as he did so another Kagome ran past, going the opposite direction. Confused Inuyasha watched this one instead, and yet another Kagome ran past him.

Soon there were many Kagome's running past him, all smiling at him, running close enough to touch then moving back as Inuyasha reached out to them. They turned into a blur, running faster then any human Inuyasha knew would be able to. And out of the blur, walking slowly towards him, was another Kagome. This one didn't have a smile on her face, though.

"Kagome?" he asked, slightly dizzy from watching all of the other hers. "What the Hell is…" she cut him off.

"Inuyasha, don't worry." She walked closer. "I'm fine. I just didn't come back right. That'll all be changed soon though." She was closer now, and Inuyasha was able to see that _her_ eyes were brown, not black as the other ones were.

"I know," Inuyasha said. "I read your diary." He saw Kagome blush. Maybe this was really her. But…this was a dream. How could it be her?

"You…read my diary?" Kagome asked, still walking towards him. It really didn't seem like a long distance, but it didn't seem as though Kagome was getting much closer, even with all of her walking. "So you know? About the paper?" Inuyasha nodded and Kagome smiled. "Then you can help us." She got much closer this time, only about two arm lengths away now. "But it doesn't really matter. I've found another way to get him out of me." If Inuyasha reached out he would be able to touch her now. But he couldn't move.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her. "What other way?" If the way she now suggested didn't work, at least he could still help her. She had just given him the idea to help her find out what the paper meant. "Kagome?" she only smiled at him, now stopped and standing in front of him looking up into his eyes.

"Inuyasha," she said placing her hands on his shoulders. The pressure there shocked him. He could _feel_ her. She was real! Kagome hugged them and whatever spell kept him from moving broke and he swept her up into his arms, hugging her with all the might he could without breaking her. "Tell me something…"

"Anything," Inuyasha said, burying his nose in her hair and smelling her. It smelled like Kagome, another reason for him to think it was really her. "Anything…" he said again, trying to keep from doing something girly like crying.

"Do you love me?" she whispered into his ear. "Tell me…do you?"

"Yes," Inuyasha said. He felt like his heart would burst. He was so happy to have finally told her. He could feel her smiling and her arms tightened around him lovingly. "But," he said and she stiffened. "In the cave…why did you…say that?"

Kagome tried to pull him closer as she said, "You read the diary? I can't show emotion. I thought if you thought I hated you that you'd stop looking for me." She loosened her grip and drew back, looking him in the eye. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "Inuyasha…I love you…" she smiled as Inuyasha tucked her head under his, resting his chin on the top of her head.

It was a few moments before Inuyasha noticed that all of the other Kagome's had gone away. He asked, "Why are you here?" then he remembered something. "And how can you be showing all of this emotion? What about Naraku? Can't he…"

"No, he can't." Kagome said, not moving. "I'm in your dream. He can't see anything I do in here. And I have the paper with me. It shields me from his view." She drew back again and watched Inuyasha a moment before she said, blushing, "Inuyasha? Would you…kiss me please? It'll break Naraku's hold over me and…I want you to…please?" her blush grew and Inuyasha now sported his own red tinge.

"Uh, sure…" he smiled and said, "I fit gets rid of Naraku of course. And if you want me to, I'll do it any time to make you happy." Both of their blushes grew but they also both smiled. Inuyasha placed his hand behind her head and slowly drew her closer. One of Kagome's hands went to his chest and the other to his shoulder.

Then, shattering the silence and their concentration, someone called, not from in the dream but in the waking world, "No, Kagome, don't!"

With Inuyasha and the others, waking up

Inuyasha opened his eyes to chocolate brown ones, inches from his face as they had been in his dream.

"Kagome?" he asked sleepily. "Is that you?" she nodded sadly.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm sorry Inuyasha." She smiled at him and threw herself into his arms, hugging him fiercely. "Another time." She said and, with a quick kiss that she gave to his cheek she jumped to the ground and ran off into the forest, waving to the others, now all wide awake and staring after her in shock.

Sesshomaru was the first to react, saying, "Brother, now would be the time for us to follow her." At his words everyone shook themselves out of their shock and ran after Kagome, leaving the camp as it was. Kirara transformed and Sango, Miroku and Shippou all jumped on before she took off. Rin and Jaken got onto Ah-Un and they to took off. Kikyo's soul catchers came and carried her up, following the others. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru just jumped through the trees, leading the way.

"Inuyasha!" Sango called, pointing up ahead. "It's Kagura! I think she's waiting for Kagome!" Inuyasha jumped higher to see over the trees. Sure enough there was Kagura's feather. "What should we do?" Sango asked. "Fight her?"

"No," Kikyo said, her soul catchers bring her within ear shot of everyone. "She and Kanna are helping Kagome. If we get them hurt who's going to take care of her?"

"She's right," Inuyasha said, cutting Sango's hot remark off. "Don't attack her, let's just watch what she's going to do." Slowing down, they let Kagome get ahead of them. It was as Inuyasha was looking around, to make sure that everyone knew not to attack that he noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Sesshomaru?" he called to everyone. "He's not behind us." They all glanced around but still kept one eye on Kagura, who was searching the trees below her, presumably for Kagome.

With Kagome

She had sent a copy of herself on ahead, wanting to grab the stone in the river that had one of the letters she needed to translate on it. As she had been running through the trees, heading for Kagura, Kanna had come up beside her, floating through the air, and told her about the stone. Not wanting everyone to follow her scent she had copied herself, scent as well, and sent it ahead of her, masking her own smell.

"Come out come out wherever so you." Kagome called softly at the side of the river. "Stupid rock. It's probably eroded away by now." She scanned the surface of the water, looking for anything unusual. Something shiny, not like water in sunlight shiny but as polished rock in sunlight shiny, caught her eye. "There you are." She whispered, walking over to it. It was large, about a foot across and three inches think but seemed to weigh almost nothing. She noticed the writing on it, some in the ancient words and some in Japanese she knew. "Come and look at this." She called into the trees, sensing someone there.

"Your senses are heightened." Sesshomaru stated as he walked forward. "You were able to sense me."

Kagome knew these went questions so she only nodded and said, "Come here and look." And she turned her eyes up to his, waiting for him to move. He didn't move, so neither did she. Sighing she said, "You're getting fat, walking over here will help you lose weight." She glanced up in time to see the Prince of Ice smirk but still not move.

'Kami help me,' she thought. 'It's the end of the world.' Instead of saying this out loud she said, "Fine, three steps for you and three for me. Fair enough?" Sesshomaru, after a moment of thought, nodded and took his steps. He respected her enough to at least compromise. She smiled and took her three, which brought her to his side.

"Since what I have in mind might not work, I've asked Inuyasha to help us look for people, things like this rock, or demons that can help us translate this rock thing we have." She reached into her pocket and drew out the slip of paper the letters were drawn on. "These are the last of the ones that we need. Inuyasha has my diary, which also has them in it, but do you want me to make you a copy?"

Sesshomaru nodded and said, "No doubt he shall lose it." It wasn't meant as a joke, and Kagome knew it, but she laughed anyways.

"Ok. See this rock?" she held it up and Sesshomaru glanced at it. "This is the sorta writing you're looking for. Since you don't have any mirrors like Kanna's, she'll have to come to you with any information. It'll take less time this way. Kagura, Kanna and I can go after one while you, Inuyasha and everyone else go after another." She glanced up at him, just then realizing how weird it was to her to be having a long conversation with him.

"Fine." Was all he said as he stepped back, away from Kagome so she could make the copy. Even Miko copying energy could purify a demon and Sesshomaru wouldn't take any chances.

"K," Kagome said and she concentrated on the paper. A second later she held the new copy out to Sesshomaru, a line across the letter she had just gotten. "There, if you find one cross it off and it'll appear on this one to." He only nodded and started to walk away. "Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked softly. He stopped but didn't turn. "I know it's mushy, but couldn't you tell Shippou I love him? Or tell Rin to tell him for me?" nodding at her request he disappeared into the trees.

Sighing she headed off into the trees again, heading in the direction she could feel Kagura. As she got closer, and ran underneath Inuyasha, Kirara, Ah-Un and Kikyo with her soul catchers, Kanna came up to her and help out a hand for the rock. Kagome handed it over, still running, and Kanna floated up, out of the trees, and onto the feather.

Kagome heard Inuyasha and the others shouting about something, but she wasn't able to make out what it was. Glancing to her side, up out of the trees, Kagome was able to see Sesshomaru there, jumping through the trees, silently following Inuyasha and the others again. She turned her head slightly left, and to the front, and saw Kagura's feather floating in the air, high above her.

'She's to high!' Kagome thought. 'I'll never be able to jump all the way up there. Unless…' looking around her she caught sight of sturdy branches ahead of her and, timing it so she would be to the side of the feather and able to jump up into it, she jumped onto the branch, onto the next, then another. Giving a hard push she shot out of the trees and high, high into the air. Kagura, not knowing what Kagome was going to do, had moved slightly making Kagome miss.

"Kagura!" she called as she started to fall. "The older women turned and lunged forward, almost off of the feather, and caught Kagome's wrist. Moving back to get better leverage Kagura said, "I should just let you fall for all of the trouble you cause." Kagome only smiled at this. As the feather started to speed off she looked back, still hanging over the side, and saw Inuyasha and the others watching her go. Why weren't they following?

A/N: Aren't I evil? RandR!

-Neo Staff

p.s. Please read my other fics, they're lonely…


	5. muwahahahaha, look Mother, no name!

'She's to high!' Kagome thought. 'I'll never be able to jump all the way up there. Unless…' looking around her she caught sight of sturdy branches ahead of her and, timing it so she would be to the side of the feather and able to jump up into it, she jumped onto the branch, onto the next, then another. Giving a hard push she shot out of the trees and high, high into the air. Kagura, not knowing what Kagome was going to do, had moved slightly making Kagome miss.

"Kagura!" she called as she started to fall. "The older women turned and lunged forward, almost off of the feather, and caught Kagome's wrist. Moving back to get better leverage Kagura said, "I should just let you fall for all of the trouble you cause." Kagome only smiled at this. As the feather started to speed off she looked back, still hanging over the side, and saw Inuyasha and the others watching her go. Why weren't they following?

-----------------With Inuyasha and the others-------------------------

"Inuyasha, where's Kagome?" Sango called, looking around to the half demon. They were stationary for the moment, far from Kagura, who was still searching the trees under her. Inuyasha scented the air. Her was coming from…two directions?

"Something must have happened." Inuyasha said, sniffing the air again to see if he had just been mistaken the first time. But no, he could really smell her scent in two directions, the second much fainter then the other though. "It's like she coming from two directions!"

"What?" Miroku asked from behind Sango. "How could that be?" Kikyo drifted slightly closer so everyone turned to her.

"She's split herself." She said. "Made a copy and sent it in one direction while going another. Is one fainter than the other?" she directed this question to Inuyasha who sniffed once again.

"Yeah," he said. "One's coming from over there," he pointed off to the side of where they were. "And the other one that's stronger is coming from over there." He pointed in front of them, towards Kagura.

"I thought so." Kikyo said. "She's growing in her powers to an extent that my younger sister and I would never have been able to teach her. She's surpassed us both." There was a shocked silence following her words. Then Inuyasha tuned, smelling Sesshomaru coming up upon them from behind. Kagome's scent had also changed again. It now came strongly from their side and not at all form the front.

"Come on, let's move!" Inuyasha said, about to jump off to the side. "She's moved, I can smell it."

"Wait, Inuyasha!" Sango called. He stopped and looked back at her, annoyed that she had stopped him. "What if…what if Kagome doesn't want us to see her right now?" she looked a little guilty at having said this, but she held herself firm.

Inuyasha stared at her, slightly shocked, for only a second before he said angrily, "Why wouldn't she want to see us?" he glanced around at the others, but no one would meet his eye. "What?" he asked.

"Well," Sango said. "What if there's something wrong with her?" Inuyasha, about to say there was nothing wrong with her, was cut off by Sango continuing, "No, no, nothing like she's going to die wrong. Something like…she's infected wrong." Inuyasha was now totally confused.

"What she's trying to say," Kikyo said. "Is that I told she thinks there something wrong with the way Kagome-sama is acting. And there is." Inuyasha glanced at everyone. They were all nodding.

"So?" he asked. "Maybe she's just changed." He knew he should tell them about Kagome's diary, but somehow he just couldn't. "It's been a long time since we last saw her…"

Miroku shook his head. "I don't think she would have changed that much. Inuyasha, think about it. This might not even be Kagome-sama at all. No, hear me out." Inuyasha had opened his mouth to say something but now closed it. "This is Kagura and Kanna we're talking about. They're made form Naraku. Maybe they're still under his orders, even if he's dead. What if the Kagome-sama we saw was just some copy they made of her?"

"That's not possible." It wasn't Inuyasha who said this, but Kikyo. "The Kagome-sama we have seen does Miko spells. A copy, even if Naraku had made it, would never be able to. He would need to kill thousands of priests and priestesses to make it able to, and there are not that many in this world. Even for the tiniest drop of Miko power he would have to sacrifice many people with the ability."

Inuyasha smiled. He liked it when Kikyo backed him up, it usually made the others shut up. "Now come on." Inuyasha said. "We have to follow her.."

"Inuyasha look!" Shippou cried, pointing ahead of them. Something had shot out of the trees, aiming for Kagura and the feather. It was Kagome. But Kagura had drifted to the side and they saw Kagome start to fall before she called out to Kagura, who caught her. "Where are they going?" Shippou asked no one in particular.

"I dunno." Inuyasha said. "But let's follow them." He started to jump forward but was stopped by someone grabbing the back of his shirt. "Hey! Get off!" he turned when the person didn't and found Sesshomaru there.

Not saying a word, he put the paper Kagome had given to him in Inuyasha's hand. Then, turning to watch Kagome, Kagura and Kanna float away he said, "We are to look for those." He said.

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "Where did you get this?" he turned accusatory eyes on Sesshomaru. "You knew she wasn't in front of us." He stated.

"Yes, little brother, I did know. My sense of smell is much more powerful than yours." Sesshomaru looked behind Inuyasha, at where Kagome, Kagura, and Kanna had now disappeared.

"So?" Inuyasha said hotly. "I still should have…"

"But you didn't." Sesshomaru cut him off. "It does you no good thinking about what happened. Think of what will happen. Rin." Rin looked up at him, knowing that he wanted to leave.

"Yes, Master Sesshomaru?" she asked. She didn't like pointing things out to him that he already knew. He'd always get into a huff and not speak to her for a while.

"We leave." He said. Rin nodded and urged Ah-Un to follow Sesshomaru. She missed Kagome-sama and would have loved to follow after her, as she knew Inuyasha wanted to, but she would listen to Sesshomaru above all others.

"Uh…" Miroku said. "Perhaps we should follow them. We need to cool our selves off and have some lunch." At this Shippou's stomach growled, drawing his eyes away from where he saw Kagome disappear to back to the others.

"I wish we could have Ramen again." Shippou said. He was sad, of course, that Kagome hadn't said anything to him. He thought of her as a mother and she just ignored him.

Inuyasha, though sad, mad, and depressed at not being able to go after Kagome, had a thought: he could go back to Kagome's time! He want to check in on Kagome's family as well as get some Ramen. After Kagome had been killed he had almost totally forgotten about that sort of food.

Sighing but trying to keep himself at least a little happy at the knowledge that he had just seen Kagome again, he turned and jumped off of the branch, back towards Kaeda's village and the well. The others followed, not oblivious to the thoughtful air that had been around Inuyasha.

"What do you think he was thinking?" Sango whispered to Miroku and Shippou. "About Kagome?"

"No doubt," Miroku said, nodding. "I don't think he ever stops thinking about her. Just like I never stop thinking about you, Sango dear." He leaned in to kiss her.

"Ewwwww!" Shippou said, jumping onto Miroku's head and making him miss. "Stop acting all mushy Miroku!"

Miroku sighed and tried to grab Shippou's tail. It had been a long time since that had happened though. Shippou had been learning to control his kitsun powers better. Instead Miroku's hand now gripped what looked like a snake and he dropped it with a slight yelp.

Sighing again Miroku resigned himself to just holding Sango. Shippou might only be a kitsun child, but he was still as annoying as an child…times ten thousand! Looking ahead, Miroku was able to see Sesshomaru and Rin talking. It must have been hard, since Sesshomaru had to keep jumping from one branch to another all of the time.

"I wonder what they're talking about?" he said. "Maybe reassuring Rin that Kagome is ok?"

Sango glanced back, at him for a moment and said, "I don't know. It could be anything. I just want to know what Inuyasha is thinking. I know it's a bad thought but…" she sighed and leaned back into Miroku's arms. "I don't want to go after Kagome so soon. What if something happens?"

"Like what?" Shippou, as he always did, questioned. "It's not like we're all going to burst into flame or something."

"We could," Kikyo said, coming up beside them. "If Kagome willed it enough, it could happen. We wouldn't be able to stop her."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sango snapped. "She would never want to hurt us." Kikyo shrugged and floated along on her soul catchers in silence for a moment more.

"She might not," Kikyo said, not looking at Sango or anyone. "But Naraku would." Knowing they were confused she started to explain, drawing closer to Inuyasha so he would hear as well. "Let us just say that something broke Kagome concentration on her fight against Naraku. What do you think could happen?"

"She could get hurt." Sango and Shippou

"She could get him out of her maybe." Miroku and Myoga, who had, as always, come back when danger had passed.

"She could get possessed…" This came form Inuyasha, knowing what could happen from the diary.

"He's right." Kikyo said, nodding to him. "She can get possessed again. It has happened before, if I am not mistaken. Remember all of those reports about a girl that looked like Kagome was attacking villages? Remember someone said that one day they saw her change into the image of Naraku?" everyone nodded, remembering that time when they had been filled with hope again. "I believe that that was Kagome, possessed."

"It would explain a lot," Miroku said.

"Yes it would." Kikyo nodded. "Such as Kagome-sama not wanting us to go after her. Also her leaving our presence every time she is around us." For a moment Kikyo thought. "I do believe that there is a way to bring her back, though, the way she tried a while ago." She glanced at Inuyasha who blushed. "She tried to kiss you, did she not?" he nodded. "I think she might have thought that would work. It will not though, it will only send her deeper into darkness."

They all thought about it for a moment. It was a scary thought, to think if Kagome got possessed they might never get her back.

"So what do you think will work?' Inuyasha asked. "Kagome did say something about some old runes or letters or something. What if they bring her back?"

"What I was thinking," Kikyo said. "I believe that what Kagome-sama is talking about are the Nir Ruins."

"But she said that these were letters." Inuyasha interjected.

"They are," Kikyo said, nodding. "But they were taken from the Nir Ruins. Broken into pieces and scattered across the land. I believe they are trying to translate them. The translations will tell them where to find the realm, or the door to that realm, from which the Ruins came from. If they can do that, then they must piece together the parts. I do not know what happens from there, the legend, or the scroll it was first put on, had the bottom torn off and no one has found the missing piece. Or pieces maybe I should say."

"So what does that mean?" Shippou asked. "We have to go on a hunt for some rocks now? It seems sorta easy." Kikyo shook her head.

"It's not," she said, looking around at them all. "Getting them is the easy, if long, part. If they are not placed in the right order, or a part is missing, there might not be anything left for a second chance at it. That is why they need the last part of the legend, though I do not think they know that. It tells, and I believe shows, what the pieces are suppose to say."

They were all silent for a moment, thinking everything over. Ok, they needed to find some rocks, or whatever they were, for Kagome so she could be her normal self again. But they also needed to find the last part of the legend, to know what to do with those pieces. They also needed to find Kagome, to get her to help them more. It seemed, though, that the only ones that could see her without her freaking out were Sesshomaru and Kikyo.

They had reached the camp before they knew it, setting down and getting the things ready for the night. It occurred to Inuyasha that none of their things had been stolen, though he didn't say anything to the others. He felt her energy in the air, and knew the others likely did as well. The sun setting, he jumped into the nearest tree and waited for all but Sesshomaru to sleep before he allowed himself to drift off slightly.

--------------Flash back---------------

"Inuyasha!" A voice called into the night. "Where are you?" The girl sat down near the edge of the trees, giving herself something to support her back on.

He watched her from the trees, watched as she called for him, watched as she sighed and leaned back against a tree. She was so beautiful, so lovely, so untouchable in his eyes. Seeing tears form in her eyes, he jumped down form his tree, a slight distance so as not to scare her.

"There you are!" She cried, raising herself and wiping away her tears. "Why didn't you come before?" she asked. He only answer was a shrug. Sighing she said, "It's not good for you to be out here tonight all alone you know."

"Feh," was all she got as he started to walk in the direction of a hill he knew would give them a good view of the sky. Catching up, Kagome took his hand and held it gently, longing for moments where she could do this without jumping apart the second her friends found them.

"Wow!" The girl exclaimed as they sat down in the soft grass. "I live the sky here, it's so clear…" she glanced at Inuyasha who was laying back, his eyes closed. She noticed he wasn't very talkative, like he ever was, but more so today. "…so handsome." She finished.

He didn't open a eye, but he could feel her staring at him, demon powers or no. Wanting to sigh but knowing she would just ask why, instead he pretended he had gone to sleep. Noticing this, Kagome just smiled and crawled next to him, leaning close to look into his face. Still pretending to sleep, Inuyasha rose one of his arms and wrapped in around her, pulling her onto his chest.

"Eep!" Kagome squeaked, trying to back up and off of him. He didn't budge his arm, though, so she finally stopped and just relaxed in his arms. She had always wanted to do this, but had never gotten the chance until now. And it wasn't her forcing Inuyasha to do it, either, Inuyasha had done this on his own! Sighing, she just let herself drift off into sleep.

As Inuyasha felt her breaths deeper and even out, he moved, over to the line of trees, and up into one of them, high enough to be hidden but not so high that if they really needed to get down, as humans, they wouldn't be able to.

Settling into a new position, Inuyasha moved Kagome to a more comfortable spot between him and closed his eyes, making sure he stayed as awake as possible. It wasn't until morning that he realized it had been one of his more happy nights as a human. He hadn't spoken much, and neither had she, but it was still enough for him.

Waking up, the first thing Kagome saw was Inuyasha transforming back into his normal self. She always loved watching this, and instead of rushing out of his arms, she reached up and played with his ears, making him purr. Also making her wonder if Inuyasha was related to a neko in some way.

------------------------With Inuyasha and the others----------------------

Inuyasha woke with a start, his dreams having been filled with Kagome so close to him yet he unable to touch her. It was morning, finally, and they were all starting to rise, getting ready for a new day, new shard hunts, and now the new hunt for the Nir Ruins pieces and the legend's other half.

Jumping from his tree, Inuyasha commanded all attention, from every sleepy eye, to himself. Clearing his throat, knowing his brother wouldn't be happy, he started to speak.

"Ok, we'll split up." He started, and when Sango opened her mouth to object he shook his head and said, "Hear me out. If we do, it'll be faster and easier on us all." Sango, no one for that matter, opened their mouths so Inuyasha went on. "Sesshomaru, you Rin, and Jaken and Ah-Un so find some of those pieces…please. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara go with Kikyo to find the legend. Shippou, Myoga, go find Kouga and tell him to help you with finding shards. If he tries to take any for himself tell him I said Kagome will gut him. Or that I will."

They all nodded, even Sesshomaru, even though he didn't want to take orders form his little brother.

"But Lord Inuyasha," Myoga said. "What will you do?"

"Look for Kagura or Kanna. We need more information, and they'll have it." They all knew he was really hoping to run into Kagome, danger to everyone or not, but they didn't say anything. Packing up, they all left, not waiting to say goodbye, knowing how important this was to everyone.

With Kagome and the others

"Are we really going to be safe here?" Kagome asked again as they entered into the heart of the cave. "I know I put the barrier up but what if..."

"For the last time," Kagura said, watching as the Naraku doll walked past them again on another patrol of the tunnels. "Nothing will happen."

"But what if Inuyasha and the others get word that the barrier is back?" she asked, also watching it go by and around a corner. "They might come to investigate and…"

"Get lost in the cave system," Kagura finished. "Now please be quiet. I know you trust the doll but a complete inspection by us will be better. And it doesn't matter," Kagura continued as they rounded a bend in the new tunnel they had entered form the heart of the cave. "Kanna will have to go to them anyways with news and stuff."

Kagome sighed, glancing at the pale girl. She knew that this was true enough, but she didn't care. She felt safe, but she would feel safer when this was all over and she was in Inuyasha's arms again. Shaking her head, and trying not to think of the other places she would feel safe, such as home, Kagome fell silent as they walked on more.

They had made it back to the center of the cave, having for found any demons, nor having felt them, when Kanna said, "They've split up." Kagura glanced at her, not knowing what she meant.

"Hmm?" Kagome said. "Split up? What do you mean?" She saw that Kanna was looking into her mirror so she moved behind the white child and looked as well. The image kept shifting, moving from one area in the woods to another.

The first showed Shippou and Myoga, Shippou a big pink ball thing, heading in the direction of Kouga's new den. She wondered at this. Had something happened to the others so that only Shippou and Myoga were able to move? Then why were they going to Kouga and not Kaeda? The image moved.

Now it showed Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Kikyo flying over the trees, Kikyo talking the other three. Ok, they weren't hurt, Kagome could see that, so what was happening? After a moment Kagome realized that they were looking for something…but what? The image moved again.

Now it showed Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken and Ah-un looking through the reeds near a dried up river. Wait, reeds by a dry river? And they were green and healthy to, as though the river still fed them. After a moment Kagome saw Rin jump up and down, something in her hands. Looking closer as Sesshomaru and Jaken came closer, she was able to see it was a piece of metal, rock maybe, like the one she had showed Sesshomaru.

"They're looking for the pieces!" Kagome said. "So what are the others…" she stopped as the image once again moved.

It now showed her Inuyasha, jumping through the trees, heading for Kaeda's village. Kagome wondered why he was going there. Medicine or something? Was someone really hurt and Kagome had just not noticed it? The, watching Inuyasha, she remembered something and turned away.

"What is it?" Came Kanna's soft voice. Kagome just shook her head and glanced behind her at the girl. The mirror's surface was once again blank. Sighing she turned back around, the others watching her closely.

"I was watching them," Kagome said, as though this would explain everything. When she noticed that they didn't seem to understand she said, "I might have turned." But she didn't remember feeling any pain. "Right?" she asked.

Kagura shook her head and said, "No. These are just their images, and you didn't watch for long. Why do you think it kept changing before you saw a lot?" Kagome just shrugged but didn't have an answer.

"So," she said. "I'm able to look at their pictures?" when Kagura shook her head and opened her mouth Kagome cut her off by saying, "But I just did and…"

"Yes, you did," Kagura said, now overriding her. "But, as I said before, you weren't able to watch long. I do not think it is easy for Naraku to see the difference between picture and the real thing. But that is just a theory. Now shut up and let's get some rest."

Glaring at her Kagome got out her sleeping things and crawled into them, not knowing how tired she was until she was laying down. Remembering something Kagome said, "Kagura?" The older girl looked over at her. "Tell me the legend of the Nir Ruins again. It'll help me sleep."

Sighing, Kagura came over and sat next to her. "I'm not your story teller but find. Thousands of years ago, no one knows how long it really was, the Nir Ruins were formed by the gods. It was suppose to be a place for them to bring back dead hero's when they were needed. It could also be used to purify every demon in Japan.

"One of the gods, though, saw it as a way to bring back demons that were lost in battle. He hated all of the others, didn't like the idea of having to share powers and such. Knowing that if he were caught he would be exiled, he did his work in secret, preparing his dead army of demons. It didn't take long either. After that was done, he lured away the others one by one, no one knows how though.

"Now his path was clear. Approaching the Ruins, with the Alter of Night in the center and Alter of Day around it, he placed his army there. Calling on powers forbidden to him, he called life into them all. Moron. The powers were forbidden to all but the most powerful. He broke the seals, though the demons were revived, and shattered the Ruins.

"The pieces scattered, reaching the far corners of Japan. He himself was captured and exiled to Hell, along with the knowledge of how to revive fallen demons. The others, knowing the same thing might happen later, didn't bother to retrieve the broken pieces. Instead they wrote this legend. At the end of it they told of how to revive the dead, human dead, as well as purify them. But that part was lost long ago.

"It is said that if you acquire all of the pieces, as well as the rest of the legend, the Path will open and Light will sine into you Dark. No one really knows what that means, so no body as looked for the rest of the legend." She glanced at Kagome, who's eyes were on the ceiling. "Which means, besides our search for the missing pieces, we also have to find the rest of the legend so we can figure out how to purify you."

Kagome turned over, smiling at Kagura. "Then we will." She said, closing her eyes now, tired as she was before. As she drifted off she whispered, "I hope Inuyasha and the others don't forget…" and she was on the plain.

-----------------------Waking world, Kagura and Kanna---------------------

"Was the wise?" Kanna asked, coming to sit next to Kagura. "Telling her that while He is inside of her?" Kagura just shrugged, wondering the same thing.

"He might already know," she said. "You need to go get that piece from Sesshomaru soon." She said, changing the subject. "Otherwise he'll just lose it." Kanna just nodded, standing up again. "Be careful, stupid things happen around them all." Kanna walked away, fading into the darkness around her.

----------------------Kagome's DREAM------------------------

Sighing in frustration, she made her way towards the pillar slowly, really not wanting to talk to Naraku right now. Why she didn't just stay away, she didn't know. Reaching the rock, she went around to the far side.

"Hello little ducky, come back to play with me?" Naraku said. Kagome felt sick from hearing that so she sat down.

"I'd rather not be here." She said, looking away form him. "I'd rather be with him, without you in me." She shuddered and said, "When are you leaving again?"

Naraku laughed, sending shivers down her spine. "Never," he said. "Your body will become mine and so will your soul. You'll be the reason they all die. Because you weren't strong enough to keep me away."

Shaking with fury now, she turned on him, groping for a none existent bow and arrow. Laughing coldly, Naraku leaned as far forward as he could and said, "You'll never get me out." Light consumed her and she woke.

--------------------------With Inuyasha------------------------

"Kaeda!" he called as he reached the village, moving close to her hut. He knew she was there, along with the babies. "Kaeda, you in there?" he called anyways.

"It wouldn't hurt for you to be quiet." She said, moving the door aside and stepping out into the sun. "Not when you have a nose that can smell and not when the babies are asleep."

Inuyasha ignored her, though he knew Sango would kill him if he disturbed the babies. Making his way over to her through the thick snow he said, "Whatever, Listen, I need information about Kagura and them. Anything." Kaeda could hear the almost concealed desperate note in his voice.

Sighing she said, "As you wish. Come inside, we'll discuss whatever you need to know over tea." She went back into the hut, Inuyasha following.

"Now," she said, resting her legs while she sat. "What is it that you wanted to know? And quietly, they sleep." She pointed to the babies.

"Anything," Inuyasha said. "Strange stuff. Stuff that could be linked to Kagura or Kanna…or Kagome…" Kaeda nodded, knowing it was things about her that he wanted to know.

"Well," she said, settling into a more comfortable position. "There are a few unexplained thing that have been happening…"

A/N: AHHHHHHHHHHH, HAHAHAHAHA, I AM EVIL!

p.s. once again, RandR and also read my other stories, they are still really lonely…


	6. um, cookie? cheese? monkey?

"Now," she said, resting her legs while she sat. "What is it that you wanted to know? And quietly, they sleep." She pointed to the babies.

"Anything," Inuyasha said. "Strange stuff. Stuff that could be linked to Kagura or Kanna…or Kagome…" Kaeda nodded, knowing it was things about her that he wanted to know.

"Well," she said, settling into a more comfortable position. "There are a few unexplained thing that have been happening…"

"Like?" Inuyasha asked when she was quiet for to long.

Thinking for a moment then nodding she said, "We've had reports of demons making a sort of nest for themselves in the east. We think it might have to do with getting the jewel shards."

Inuyasha nodded. He knew this already, they had all felt the demonic power on days when they had been in the east. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Two strange rocks were found in a deep cave the other day. The travelers who found them, though didn't take them, are now dead."

"Strange rocks? Like what?"

"Writing on them. Unlike anything anyone's seen, no one can read it."

This made Inuyasha stop asking questions for a second. Strange writing? No one can read it?

"Where?" he asked. "Where were those stones found? And how did they die?" though he really didn't care, it might be good information to have.

"It's thought to be from poison, but no one's really sure." She said.

"Poison?" Inuyasha said. "What kind?"

"No one knows." Kaeda said. "And that's just thought to be the way they died, it might not really though."

Inuyasha was now confused. It was poison but not poison?

"What are you talking about?" he finally growled out. "Which is it? Poison or not?"

"No one is sure, Inuyasha, so do not lose your temper." The old wise women said. "All that is reported is that they were shriveled and a liquid was poring from their mouths."

Sighing Inuyasha only nodded then asked again, "Ok, so where were they found?"

"Near that new nest of demons." Was his answer. "They're either looking for the jewel shards or they want those stones. But they can't touch them."

"Why not?" Inuyasha asked. "Something gonna happen to them or are they just to stupid to see them?"

Kaeda laughed quietly. The laugh turned into a cough which made Inuyasha cringe slightly. He always forgot that she was getting on in years. He could even smell death on her slightly, which told him she wasn't going to really last much longer.

Catching her breath she went onto say, "No, demons are just not able to touch them. Or, really, the ones who don't care about anything but eating, torturing and mating."

"So how come Sesshomaru can touch them?" Inuyasha asked. This made her eyes go big.

"You have also found some?" she asked. "Why are you looking for them?"

Inuyasha, now suspicious, said, "We want to use them to hit demons with." Seeing that she was about to scold him he said, "Fine. Kagome is looking for them. She says that they'll help her…they'll get Naraku out of her."

Kaeda, sighing, glanced out the door at the setting sun and said, "Tell me what has happened, Inuyasha. I know part of the story, now tell me the rest please."

About to protest Inuyasha remembered that Kagome would have. So, instead, he sighed and started to re-tell her the tale of what they had learned so far.

Kagome, Kagura, and Kanna

Kagome wanted to scream in fury. She had never gotten good night of rest since all of this had started and she was becoming more and more irritated everyday. Why couldn't he just leave her in peace?

'Because he's an evil demon.' She told herself and got up. Looking around she noticed that only Kagura was there, leaning up against the wall, presumably asleep. Sighing she went to find some food.

"You might want to go the other way." Kagura said behind her, making her jump. "That doll of yours just passed that way."

Kagome turned and put her hands on her hips, looking for all the world like a ten year old who didn't get her way.

"What's that suppose to mean?" she asked. "You still think it's going to turn into the real Naraku don't you?"

Kagura shrugged and said, "No, but I still don't like it."

"Well, it's scary enough to get demons to leave us alone, so I think we'll keep it." She turned around, but still heard what Kagura said.

"Whatever. I never said to get rid of it. I just don't like it." She was out of ear shot now and never got to hear, "And besides, you're to powerful of a miko to let something like a doll turn into Naraku."

With Kanna

Walking slowly, as she always did, Kanna searched for Sesshomaru. She knew, as the others did, that they had all split up, and she knew the general direction that they had gone. She also had her mirror, which was making the job that much easier.

It was about an hour or more since she had started out that she was forced to take cover. The demons from the east had started to move the day before, and she did not want to be spotted. Taking cover in the trees to her left, she watched them silently as they flew or crawled by, chattering to each other in their native demon language.

Not ten minutes later they had passed and she started her walk once more, watching her mirror every once in a while for other demons and the location of Sesshomaru. As she continued on, she was forced several more times to take cover.

It was around noon, as Kagome was waking up, that Kanna was suddenly snatched from the air and carried a few feet into a nearby clearing before she was set down again.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she said quietly, not even looking at him.

"You," he said. "Why are you here?"

"I have come for the stone you possess." She said, turning and holding out her hand.

Sesshomaru, after not moving for a moment, raised his hand and out of the trees came Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un.

Turning his back on Kanna, her hand still out stretched, he said to Rin, "Give her the stone, Rin." When Rin hesitated he said, "Now. It will help Kagome-sama get back to herself. It will make you happy again."

At this Rin smiled and jumped down from Ah-Un's back to race over to Kanna. Jaken, scowling at his masters back, thought about what he had just said. Was Lord Sesshomaru getting soft over a child? Jaken shook his head. It was not really up to him to question his Lord…but, then again ,he didn't have to, he could get Rin to do it for him. Lord Sesshomaru would answer any of her questions and Jaken would only have to listen for their answers.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Write up a report for Kagome-sama. Make sure it is done by the next time Kanna is sent."

"Yes, my Lord." Jaken said, his mind now totally consumed by the thought of a report. What did Kagome want to know? She had Kanna and her mirror didn't she? What did she need a report for?

"Master Sesshomaru?" Rin said, as Jaken hurried to Ah-Un's side to fetch paper and some ink. He didn't hear the question, or the answer, as he started right away on the report.

"Yes, Rin?" Sesshomaru said, as he watch Kanna fade away into the inky blackness of the night.

"Why would Kagome-sama need a report? She can just go out and look with her powers, can't she?" Rin was remembering her lessons with the miko, when, once, Kagome had told her they need to stop so she could look to see if there were any demons about. She had closed her eyes, muttered something like "Besides Inuyasha." And let her magic flow out.

Later, when Rin had asked her what she had done, Kagome had told her that something Kaeda, and later Kikyo had strengthened the power of, had taught her let her see a lot of the countryside without even moving. Rin had been very excited at this news and had asked if she could do it. Kagome had smiled and said that, no, only miko's could. Rin, always quick to understand, nodded and went off to play with Shippou.

"She does not, Rin. I had thought that it might give her more of a perspective on the situation, as well as let her know how my brother is doing." He looked down at her and gestured for her to follow him into the trees. Rin nodded, anticipating another walk in the woods, which she smiled about happily. She loved being with Sesshomaru, even if he wasn't the most conversational person around.

Jaken, oblivious to all of this, thought over what he had written so far, which wasn't really much. Only how they had just given Kanna the stone, how they had all split up, and a few complaints he couldn't help but just throw in there. If Kagome was mad about them, he didn't care, she could suffer for all he really cared.

With Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Kikyo

"Where are we going again?" Miroku called to Kikyo and her soul stealers. "The north did you say?"

"Yes," Kikyo called, dropping back closer to them. :Last I heard that was where it was rumored to be. That was fifty years ago, though, so what I know might not be of any use to us now."

Miroku nodded and Sango started to think. What if she was wrong? Then what would they do? Go back to Inuyasha without anything? And that would only hurt Kagome, to know that they hadn't tried hard enough. It was Miroku, though, who brought this up.

"What if it isn't there then? What'll we do?" he sighed and hugged Sango a little. "I don't want Inuyasha to cut me up because we didn't find anything."

Sango nodded and watched Kikyo as she to thought before she said, "That will not be the case, I do not think. If it not here then we shall keep looking. Maybe we can ask around with the people near here to see if they know anything."

Though Sango really hoped that they would be able to find the legend piece, or pieces, she kinda hoped that they didn't. Yes, she wanted Kagome back, with all of her heart, but she felt that something was wrong. She really didn't know what it was, but she felt that she and her family, Inuyasha, Shippou, Miroku, her children, everyone, were in danger. She…didn't feel like Kikyo was though, which made her watchful of the miko of late.

"Sango?" Miroku's voice called her away from her thoughts.

"Hmm? What is it?" She said.

"I was just asking if you thought it was a good idea to ask people around the north." He said, watching her. A moment ago she had been very thoughtful as she stared at Kikyo, now she just seemed flustered.

"Sorry," she said, turning her eyes ahead and away from everyone. "I think it's an ok idea, if it gets us some information."

Miroku absently nodded and also looked ahead, wondering what his wife had just been thinking about and why she was being so short on her answers.

A/N: Ok, chapter was suppose to be longer but I wanted to do a lot of updating today so…meh…read my other fics please, they're lonely…ja ne

--Nene


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